Breathing will become easier: a new drug gives hope to COPD patients

An international study of the innovative biological drug Tozorakimab showed a 29–43% reduction in the frequency of COPD exacerbations. Israeli doctors and patients participated in the study. The results were presented at a pulmonology congress and published in NEJM.

The new biological drug Tozorakimab demonstrates promising results in treating COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Full results from two large-scale Phase 3 studies (OBERON and TITANIA) were presented on September 8 at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. When added to standard treatment, the drug reduced the frequency of moderate to severe exacerbations by 29–43% compared to placebo. Israeli doctors and patients participated in the study, including Dr. Amir Bar-Shai, head of the Pulmonology Institute at Ichilov Hospital. The drug is suitable for a wide range of patients with recurrent attacks, including those for whom existing treatments have limited effectiveness. In Israel, two similar biological drugs are registered but have not yet been included in the national health basket. Dr. Bar-Shai notes that the financial burden of COPD in Israel ranges from $1,500 to $2,500 per patient per year, with the total number of patients reaching approximately 300,000.