AstraZeneca has begun what it said is the first prospective trial to investigate the potential of an inhaled triple therapy to reduce cardiopulmonary events in patients with COPD.
Fernando Martinez, MD, MS, chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Hospital, said the risk of both pulmonary and cardiac events in COPD patients can remain elevated for up to a year following an exacerbation. Dr. Martinez, who is also the international coordinating investigator in the trial, said the 2024 GOLD Report called for a more proactive therapeutic approach to improve these outcomes in COPD.
“If positive, the THARROS trial will provide critical evidence about the potential of single inhaler, triple-combination therapy to reduce severe cardiopulmonary events and further advance treatment goals in COPD,” he said. “[This includes] patients with no history of exacerbations, for whom no evidence currently exists.”
David Berg, MD, MPH, associate physician in cardiovascular and critical care medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, said the THARROS trial is the first of its kind.
“Current evidence already supports a proactive treatment approach in COPD,” he said. “Now, THARROS is seeking to provide first-of-its-kind evidence to support a strategy of comprehensive cardiopulmonary risk reduction with triple therapy."
