FibroCOPD : Drug repurposing for the treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Applications

• Treatment acting directly on lung function decline and mortality in COPD
• Treatment acting on the dramatic consequences of exacerbations

Challenges

Chronic course of COPD is increased by acute exacerbations that dramatically impact life expectancy. Lung function declines more rapidly on patients with frequent exacerbations, with an increased risk of death

Description

• An increase in the level of circulating fibrocytes is found during COPD exacerbations
• A high level of fibrocyte in the blood is associated with a reduced life expectancy
• Plerixafor is blocking fibrocyte migration by targeting the CXCR4 receptor
• Once the recruitment inhibited, airway remodeling should be reduced, lung function should be improved and mortality should decrease in COPD patients

Benefits

• Contrary to current pharmacologic treatments that act only on symptoms and quality of life, the use of Plerixafor should slow down the accelerated lung function decline and decrease mortality
• This new way of treatment should improve greatly the quality of life of the patients
• The use of Plerixafor should decrease the COPD associated health costs

Maturation

The maturation with Aquitaine Science Transfert aims to validate the Plerixafor efficacy
on a COPD mouse model