Recent studies have allowed the unexplored field of bronchiectasis to be further investigated by shedding light on the mechanisms behind the disease’s pathophysiology. In recent years, bronchiectasis has garnered a significant amount of attention, with pharmaceutical companies prioritising their investments in the development of promising pipeline agents to treat the disease through various mechanisms of action (MOAs). Pharmaceutical companies involved in the field of bronchiectasis include Insmed, Boehringer Ingelheim, Sanofi, Renovion, Armata Pharmaceuticals, Chiesi, CSL, BioAegis Therapeutics, and Reistone Biopharma, all of which are shaping the competitive landscape of the field, according to GlobalData.
Current research focuses on disease mechanisms, such as inflammation, further uncovering potential targets for pharmaceutical companies. Such targets include neutrophil-mediated inflammation components but also general inflammation components, such as interleukins and bacteriophages. Interestingly, the pipeline landscape is filled with Phase I and Phase II agents, with only Insmed’s brensocatib in Phase III. These pipeline agents have varied MOAs, which are racing against each other to be proven effective.
Recent achievements by pharma companies include the announcement of positive results from Phase III clinical trials for Insmed’s brensocatib and the Phase II clinical trial of Boehringer Ingelheim’s BI-1291583 against bronchiectasis, which according to clinicaltrials.gov has been completed.
Other therapies with expected clinical study completions include Armata’s AP-PA02, in July 2024 (primary completion date); Chiesi’s CHF-6333, expected in June 2025 (primary completion date); and Sanofi’s itepekimab, with a primary completion date of March 2026, all of which are in Phase II studies for the treatment of bronchiectasis.
Filippos Maniatis, Healthcare Analyst at GlobalData, comments, “There is no denying that the bronchiectasis landscape is currently facing high competition, as there are many exciting targets that have been identified that can be developed against bronchiectasis. Current clinical trials are assessing the potential of targets related to inflammation, interleukins, and bacteriophages, with patients anticipating the outcomes of such studies.”
GlobalData has also identified important deals, including a licensing agreement between Chiesi Group and Haisco Pharmaceutical for the development, manufacture, and commercialisation of HSK-31858, announced in 2023, and a licensing agreement between Insmed and AstraZeneca, announced in 2016, that provides Insmed with global exclusive rights to brensocatib (formerly known as AZD7986).
Both deals are directly related to the bronchiectasis field and will impact the nature of its competition. In addition, both agreements support the clinical trial progression of their respective pipeline agents and establish alliances, potentially achieving their success in the bronchiectasis field — dependent on the demonstration of efficacy, safety, and tolerability in the studied agents.
Maniatis concludes, “The licensing agreements between companies help establish a concrete foundation for the investigation of agents as therapies for bronchiectasis. The deals involved in the bronchiectasis field aim to improve the research and commercialisation abilities of companies, upon potential approval.”
Edits made by EP News Bureau