New drugs for COPD based on advances in pathophysiology

There is a pressing need to develop new treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as no currently available drug has been shown to reduce the relentless progression of this disease. Furthermore, recognition of the global importance and rising prevalence of COPD and the absence of effective therapies has now led to a concerted effort to develop new drugs for this disease [1, 2]. However, there have been disappointingly few therapeutic advances in the drug therapy of COPD, in contrast to the enormous advances made in asthma management that reflect a much better understanding of the underlying disease [3, 4].