People living with COPD in the United Kingdom have a new treatment option available as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has officially recommended dupilimab as a treatment for adults with COPD.
In its final draft guidance, NICE wrote that dupilumab can be used as an add-on maintenance treatment option for uncontrolled COPD with raised blood eosinophil levels provided patients meet certain conditions. The patients must have:
- Triple therapy, including an inhaled corticosteroid, a long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) and a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA).
- Or double therapy, including a LABA and a LAMA if inhaled corticosteroids are not appropriate.
Uncontrolled COPD is defined as one or more severe exacerbations or two or more moderate exacerbations in the previous 12 months.
According to a news release, dupilumab is the first treatment to target COPD with raised blood eosinophil levels by blocking two proteins that cause symptoms and flare-ups. COPD is responsible for approximately 130,000 emergency National Health Service (NHS) hospital admissions in England each year.
NICE estimates that if half of the eligible population receives the new treatment, it could reduce as many as 3,600 COPD attacks per year, saving the health service an estimated £16.6 million.
“This recommendation is a significant milestone for people with COPD,” said Helen Knight, NICE director of medicines evaluation. “It offers patients an effective, targeted therapy that has shown impressive results — reducing flare-ups by around a third while improving lung function. This is better for patients and better for the NHS.”
Dupilumab was approved for use in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2024.
