A new approach to treating bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease characterized by irreversible widening of the airways, promoting inflammation, infections, and tissue damage. This leads to a decline in lung function and an increased risk of disease exacerbations. A key factor is chronic neutrophilic inflammation, driven by overactive enzymes such as neutrophil elastase (NE) and proteinase 3 (PR3).

A newly developed drug, tested in a Phase I clinical trial with healthy volunteers at Fraunhofer ITEM, targets these enzymes by inhibiting cathepsin C. The study confirmed that the drug is safe and well-tolerated. Furthermore, the drug was shown to be a dose-dependent inhibitor of cathepsin C, thereby reducing the activity of NE and PR3.

These promising findings suggest that the drug has the potential to mitigate inflammatory processes and tissue damage in bronchiectasis. Building on these results, as well as additional data from other Phase I studies, an international Phase II program is currently underway to further evaluate the drug's efficacy in patients with bronchiectasis. This drug could be an important step toward a targeted and more effective therapy for this debilitating disease.