The COPD Foundation's COPD360Net Initiative Approach to Patient-Centric Drug Development: A Case Study in Using Patient Surveys to Inform New Treatments for Viral Respiratory Infections.

Patient-centric drug development is crucial to creating treatments that address unmet patient needs but is often ignored. The COPD Foundation's COPD360Net® includes a multistakeholder approach for operationalizing patient-centric development of treatments where patients, caregivers, scientists, and clinicians review opportunities based on scientific merit, potential to address an unmet need, and feasibility of adoption. COPD360Net deploys large-scale online community surveys to review profiles of potential therapies based on those criteria. This approach was implemented to inform the development of an intranasal spray to prevent viral respiratory infections (VRIs), a major cause of exacerbations in people with chronic lung diseases. Insights included: Of the 376 respondents with COPD surveyed, frequent exacerbators reported strong interest in a new type of antiviral nasal spray to prevent VRI.Patient survey and advisory committee insights demonstrated that a pan antiviral nasal spray has potential high value to both clinicians and patients and informed the COPD360Net decision to partner on its development.Including patient perspectives from the outset can be conducted efficiently by mobilizing an engaged online patient community.

The 2nd National COPD Readmissions Summit and Beyond: From Theory to Implementation.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalizations and readmissions adversely impact the health and quality of life of COPD patients. Under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reduce payments to those hospitals exceeding expected rates of COPD readmissions within 30 days of hospital discharge. It was within this climate that the COPD Foundation held its 2nd COPD Readmissions Summit in March 2015. Experts in attendance: (1) categorized challenges to optimal COPD care, ( 2) analyzed the state of care delivery and readmissions reduction strategies and (3) identified the best available evidence-based approaches to improving care delivery across the continuum, including early diagnosis via spirometry, ongoing device, oxygen and medication reconciliation, treatment that addresses comorbidities and preventive care, robust patient education, prompt post-acute follow up, home health services and pulmonary rehabilitation. Results of this collaborative event formed the basis for PRAXIS, the COPD Foundation's initiative to improve COPD care across the health continuum and to reduce readmissions.