Panel Discussion: Thinking Beyond Exacerbations & Lung Function to Define the Future of Clinical Endpoints

9:30 am - Thursday 17th September 2026

  • Should COPD drug development move beyond exacerbation reduction as the dominant endpoint, and what alternative measures could better capture meaningful clinical benefit?
  • How clinically meaningful are early improvements in lung function, and could they serve as valid endpoints for evaluating acute COPD treatments?
  • What additional endpoints could better reflect patient benefit, including symptom improvement, quality of life, or disease progression?
  • How do regulatory expectations currently shape endpoint selection in COPD trials, and where might there be flexibility for innovation?
  • What strategies can developers use to demonstrate robust clinical value when proposing novel endpoints to regulators and payers?

Speakers:

Clinical Investigator, Imaging & Quantitative Image Analysis & Associate Physician
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Vice President, Global Clinical Development
Merck & Co
Director Clinical Imaging, Early Clinical Development
AstraZeneca
Head of Clinical Development, Respiratory
Sanofi
Chief Scientific Officer
COPD Foundation
Chief Executive Officer
Connect Biopharmaceuticals