The game-changing new treatment that can eliminate a cough that just won’t go away

Tens of thousands of patients with a debilitating and incurable lung disease could soon benefit from a breakthrough drug that reduces painful symptoms and the risk of dangerous infections.

More than 200,000 people in Britain have bronchiectasis, where the airways of the lungs widen, leading to a build-up of mucus.

Patients often experience a persistent cough, shortness of breath and are vulnerable to life-threatening insects.

The lung damage is permanent and there are currently no approved NHS treatments.

But a groundbreaking study published last week found that a daily pill can significantly reduce the damage caused by bronchiectasis. The tablet, called brensocatib, blocks cells that cause inflammation in the lungs.

Study participants who used the tablet saw a 20 percent reduction in cough symptoms and their risk of respiratory infections dropped by 25 percent. Experts hailed the trial as a turning point for NHS bronchiectasis care and predicted it could be available in the health service within two years.

Bronchiectasis can be caused by several conditions, including pneumonia or whooping cough.

It can also occur as a result of an allergic reaction to a certain type of mold called aspergillus.

It is also a common complication of cystic fibrosis – a genetic condition that causes sticky mucus to build up in the lungs.

However, all patients with bronchiectasis will experience mucus build-up.

This is dangerous because insects can easily inhabit mucus, increasing the risk of a lung infection. About 1,500 people die every year in Britain from bronchiectasis.

It is most common in people over 80, and women are more likely to suffer from it than men. NHS patients can be given exercises and special machines to clear the mucus from the lungs.

Doctors may also prescribe antibiotics to clear an infection. However, there is no drug available that can combat bronchiectasis itself.

In the new international study, which involved 1,600 adults from 35 countries, participants were given two daily brensocatib tablets.

It is known as a DPP1 inhibitor, which means it blocks the production of harmful inflammatory cells in the lungs, which can cause the airways to widen further. Patients were given a 10 mg tablet, a 25 mg tablet or a dummy treatment known as a placebo. Those given the 10 mg brensocatib saw a 20 percent reduction in the number of coughs, and a 25 percent drop in the number of chest infections.

Patients with bronchiectasis often experience a persistent cough and shortness of breath and are vulnerable to life-threatening insects.

Patients on the 25 mg tablet, developed by US pharmaceutical company Insmed, experienced approximately the same response rate.

The drug was well tolerated, with headache being the most common side effect.

‘The treatment appears to be very safe,’ said Professor James Chalmers, a respiratory expert and lead researcher on the trial, from the University of Dundee.

‘The number of cases of this disease has increased by 40 percent in the last decade, so it is important to find treatments. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma often overlap with bronchiectasis and are even more common.

‘So it would be interesting to see if these treatments could be used.’