Moving Beyond Syndromic Rescue to Precision Targeting of Viral Triggers, Airway Inflammation in COPD (+++)

Moving Beyond Syndromic Rescue to Precision Targeting of Viral Triggers, Airway Inflammation in COPD https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/moving-beyond-syndromic-rescue-precision-targeting-viral-2026a1000zeg?ecd=mkm_ret_261011_mscpmrk_pulm_trending-news_etid8778820&uac=148436CN&impID=8778820 BARCELONA, Spain — Managing an acute viral flare-up of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involves prescribing a course of oral corticosteroids, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and hoping the patient’s lungs recover. But experts at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2026 International Congress argued that this nonspecific, syndromic rescue model is ineffective. Respiratory viruses trigger roughly half of all COPD exacerbations, and even a single moderate event permanently alters a patient’s survival trajectory while accelerating lung function decline. Tozorakimab Cuts COPD Exacerbations by Up to 34% in Phase 3 Trials Manuela Callari https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/tozorakimab-cuts-copd-exacerbations-34-phase-3-trials-2026a10010g0?ecd=mkm_ret_261011_mscpmrk_pulm_trending-news_etid8778820&uac=148436CN&impID=8778820 BARCELONA, Spain — Add-on treatment with tozorakimab, a first-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-33 (IL-33), significantly reduces the yearly rate of moderate and severe COPD exacerbations in patients receiving stable standard-of-care inhaled maintenance therapy. European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2026 International Congress https://www.medscape.com/c25/p14/european-respiratory-society-ers-2026-international-congress-2026a1000qk0