Macrolide antibiotic reduces COPD exacerbations

The long-term use of a macrolide antibiotic can significantly reduce the frequency of exacerbations in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by as much as thirty-five percent, as per a London-based study.

It was remarked by lead author of the paper, Terence A. R. Seemungal, Ph.D., and Jadwiga Wedzicha, M.D., principle investigator, that the results show a significant effect of low-dose macrolide therapy, reducing exacerbation frequency and severity with moderate to severe COPD.

From News-Medical.Net:

Moreover, not all of the study patients were treated with guideline-recommended therapy, such as inhaled corticosteroids or inhaled long-acting bronchodilators, which have been shown to decrease exacerbation frequency. The degree of added benefit of erythromycin over and above standard therapy will require further study.

“Observations that any intervention might decrease the frequency and severity of acute exacerbations in COPD present considerable public health implications,” observed John Heffner, M.D., past president of the ATS. “Exacerbations occur about once a year among patients with moderate to severe COPD and account for more than $30 billion dollars in direct and indirect costs annually in the United States alone.”

This groundbreaking study’s results were published in the first issue for December of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine that is published by the American Thoracic Society. The study is the first-ever year-long randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of erythromycin in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Tags: antibiotic, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, corticosteroids

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