Queen's University Belfast
Queen's University Belfast © Romeparis

IMI backs €50m CF research project

Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast in the UK are leading a €50m, Europe-wide, project to develop new drug treatments that could improve the lives of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and bronchiectasis.

The ‘inhaled Antibiotics in Bronchiectasis and Cystic Fibrosis’, or iABC, consortium is being supported by the Innovative Medicines Initiative, and will develop new ‘inhaled antibiotics’ to manage chronic lung infection, the main cause of disease and death in patients with CF and bronchiectasis.

The new antibiotics, which are to be trialled over a five-year period, are being developed in response to an urgent need for new forms of inhaled antibiotics. They are expected to improve patients’ quality of life by reducing lung infections and flare ups, improving lung function, and overcoming antibacterial resistance which frequently occurs in patients with these conditions.

The programme will also establish the first European patient register for bronchiectasis, provide a platform to improve the quality of care for patients across Europe, as well as make it easier to develop and trial new drugs.

Queen’s University Belfast’s Professor Stuart Elborn, lead researcher on the project, said: “There are limited antibiotics available to treat lung infection in CF and bronchiectasis, and the bacteria causing them are becoming increasingly resistant to current antibiotics. To ensure the development of new drug types we are bringing together world-leading researchers with proven expertise in antibiotic development, clinical trials, and high-quality research.

“This work has the potential to deliver inhaled antibiotics that will improve the quality of life and survival of CF and bronchiectasis patients. It is the latest example of the commitment of researchers and staff at Queen’s University to advancing knowledge and changing lives by working with international experts.”

The iABC consortium involves researchers from the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland.