ProAxis Targets Growth in the COPD Market With Ongoing Research Study

ProAxsis is expanding into the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) market through an ongoing clinical research study with Imperial College London.

The study builds on the company’s established position in bronchiectasis and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, where its technology has already supported important clinical programs with global pharmaceutical firms. These include the Phase II WILLOW study for Insmed and the use of ProAxsis’ ProteaseTag lab-based assays for biomarker analysis, which helped support the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of BRINSUPRI, the first approved treatment for non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

“The Imperial College London COPD study is a pivotal moment for us. The aim is to not only evaluate our NEATstik test in a disease area that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, but also to explore broader applications for the technology across respiratory research, drug development and patient monitoring,” ProAxsis Managing Director Dr. Louise Ryan Murphy commented. “A successful outcome will create significant opportunities to expand our presence in respiratory clinical trials, deepen our pharmaceutical partnerships, and accelerate the development of future clinical and point-of-care applications.”

The ongoing 21-month clinical research study with Imperial College London is evaluating ProAxsis’ NEATstik point-of-use test as a diagnostic tool in exacerbations of COPD, a chronic respiratory disease characterised by airway inflammation. COPD affects more than 200 million people globally and represents one of the largest disease areas in respiratory medicine.¹ Study results are expected by mid-2027.

NEATstik is a simple, point-of-use lateral flow test that utilizes ProAxsis’ proprietary ProteaseTag technology to detect active neutrophil elastase (NE) in sputum samples. Results are returned within 10 minutes, allowing for rapid and ongoing monitoring of active NE levels in a research setting.

NE is an established biomarker of bacterial infection and lung inflammation and is associated with an increased risk of exacerbations and worsening disease severity in both bronchiectasis and COPD. A previous study determined that NEATstik could identify bronchiectasis patients at increasing risk of airway infection and future exacerbations.² The ongoing Imperial study will provide an initial assessment of NEATstik’s diagnostic value in a COPD population.

“COPD affects millions of people worldwide. New diagnostic tools are urgently needed to direct treatment and improve outcomes for people living with COPD,” said Dr. Lydia Finney, clinical associate professor of Respiratory Medicine at Imperial College London.

A successful outcome would enable ProAxsis to support the broader use of NEATstik in COPD research and clinical trials, creating a pathway to Contract Research Organizations (CROs). It would also support further development of a next-generation NEATstik self-test for use by COPD patients at home to monitor their own active NE levels as part of a remote disease management program. In time, the test could be integrated into digital monitoring tools, providing significant benefits to COPD patients and healthcare systems by enabling enhanced remote assessment of patients’ infection and inflammation status.

This expansion into the COPD market and the development of a next-generation NEATstik align with ProAxsis’ mission to improve the lives of patients across a range of diseases by strengthening its respiratory product portfolio and developing solutions for both clinical and home-use settings.

“ProAxsis has already demonstrated the value of its technology through collaborations with global pharmaceutical companies and its contribution to an FDA-approved treatment in bronchiectasis,” ProAxsis Chairperson Professor Steven Myint stated. “The Imperial College COPD study represents a natural and significant step forward, targeting one of the world’s largest respiratory disease markets.”

ProAxsis is a commercial protease biomarker-led research company supporting drug development and clinical research through specialist biomarker insights. The firm focuses on measuring active protease disease biomarkers and supports pharmaceutical, biotech and research organizations through provision of immunoassay and point-of-use products; specialist clinical research services; and bespoke assay development and scientific collaboration.

The company combines scientific expertise with proprietary technology to support drug development, translational research and clinical trial programs, particularly in respiratory disease. With capabilities spanning research-use assay products, specialist sample testing and bespoke scientific collaboration, ProAxsis delivers high-quality biomarker insight designed to support more effective research and development programs.

References
¹ ‘Burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its attributable risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019’, BMJ
² ‘A point-of-care neutrophil elastase activity assay identifies bronchiectasis severity, airway infection and risk of exacerbation’, European Respiratory Journal, 2019.