Finding New Uses for Existing Medications to Help People with COPD

Evaluating the Impact of Non-COPD Medications on COPD Management

NIH-funded research Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11193958

This project looks at existing health records to see if common medications for other conditions might also help people living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionBrigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Boston, United States)
Project IDNIH-11193958 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

COPD is a serious lung condition, and we are always looking for better ways to help patients. This project uses a new approach by looking at large amounts of existing health data, like insurance claims and electronic health records, to find medications already on the market that might improve COPD outcomes. Researchers will use advanced computer tools to carefully check if these non-COPD drugs have a positive effect on patients with COPD. The goal is to quickly discover new treatment possibilities without needing to develop entirely new drugs from scratch. This could lead to faster access to new options for managing COPD.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: This project focuses on analyzing health data from commercially insured individuals and Medicare beneficiaries in the U.S. who have COPD.

Not a fit: Patients who do not have COPD or whose health data is not included in the analyzed datasets would not directly benefit from this specific data analysis.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify existing medications that can be repurposed to improve the health and quality of life for patients with COPD.

How similar studies have performed: While the use of large-scale observational health data for drug repurposing is a growing field, this project aims to develop a robust and valid computational infrastructure for COPD specifically, which is a novel and expanding approach.

Where this research is happening

Boston, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary DiseaseChronic Obstructive Lung DiseaseChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.