Chronic neutrophilic inflammation drives exacerbations and lung damage in bronchiectasis, but a new drug, brensocatib, may offer new hope for patients. Results from the Phase 3 ASPEN trial were recently published, in which over 1,700 patients were randomized to receive brensocatib or placebo once daily for 52 weeks. Both doses significantly reduced pulmonary exacerbations rates by about 20%, with nearly half of brensocatib users remaining exacerbation-free. The higher dose also slowed lung function decline and improved quality of life measures. Brensocatib is a selective dipeptidyl peptidase 1 (DPP1) inhibitor and suppresses harmful neutrophil activity at its source. With a favorable safety profile, it represents a potential first-in-class treatment that targets disease progression—not just symptoms—in bronchiectasis.

References

Chalmers JD, et al. N Engl J Med. 2025;392(16):1569-1581