Researchers at
Suburban Lung Associates and the Chicago Chest Center recently announced
the start of the EASE (Exhale Airway Stents for Emphysema) Trial to explore
an investigational treatment for advanced widespread emphysema. The trial
focuses on airway bypass, a minimally invasive bronchoscopic procedure
designed to help patients with emphysema/COPD (chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease) breathe more easily.
Central DuPage Hospital is the only site for the EASE trial in the
Chicago area.
"Airway bypass could be groundbreaking because it is a potential
non-surgical treatment for the patient with diffuse emphysema," states Dr.
Kevin Kovitz, interventional pulmonologist and principal investigator of
the study at the Central DuPage Hospital site. "Emphysema, which
permanently destroys lung function, is such a devastating disease, and any
potential new treatment option could offer substantial relief to the
millions who struggle with each breath."
During the airway bypass procedure, new openings are created in the
airway wall connecting the damaged lung tissue to the natural airway. These
pathways are supported and kept open by Exhale(R) Drug-Eluting Stents
manufactured by Broncus Technologies, Inc. Patients could see an immediate
improvement in shortness of breath.
Emphysema, a type of COPD, is a chronic, progressive and irreversible
lung disease characterized by the destruction of lung tissue. The loss of
the lungs' natural elasticity and the collapse of airways in the lung
combine to leave emphysema sufferers unable to get air out of their lungs.
As a result, patients have to work very hard just to breathe, making normal
activities, like walking, eating or even bathing, difficult. There are few
treatment options for most patients with emphysema and there is no cure.
"If proven, the airway bypass procedure could be an excellent option
for those who are not suitable candidates for lung transplant surgery or
who would possibly spend years on a lung transplant list," states Dr.
Kovitz.
Physicians commonly use bronchoscopes to examine the airways within the
lungs. During the airway bypass procedure, physicians will first use a
Doppler probe inserted through the bronchoscope to identify a site in the
airway that is away from blood vessels. A special needle is then used to
make a small opening and an Exhale Drug-Eluting Stent is placed in the
passageway to keep it open. The approximately two hour procedure involves
placing up to six drug-eluting stents.
Although this procedure is still under clinical investigation,
feasibility data suggest it may hold promise for patients with emphysema.
Results from the open-label Exhale Drug-Eluting Stent feasibility study
were published in the October issue of the Journal of Thoracic and
Cardiovascular Surgery. Positive results included a statistically
significant reduction in the amount of air trapped in the lungs and an
improvement in breathing for patients at six months after the airway bypass
procedure. The EASE trial is designed to see if these results hold in a
randomized, controlled trial. That is, a group of patients will receive the
stents and others will not. This will allow investigators to see if the
stents improve function and quality of life. All participants will help
gather information valuable to their fellow emphysema sufferers.
Suburban Lung Associates and the Chicago Chest Center are currently
recruiting patients for the EASE trial. Involvement in the study will last
approximately 15 months to five years and include eight to 16 physician
appointments. All study-related medical procedures will be performed at no
charge to the patient, with patients closely monitored throughout the
trial. Participants will also receive up to 12 weeks of pulmonary
rehabilitation therapy. If you, or someone you know over the age of 35, has
been diagnosed with advanced widespread emphysema and no longer smoke (or
would be willing to stop smoking), you may qualify to participate in this
study.
About Broncus Technologies, Inc.
Broncus Technologies, Inc. is developing bronchoscopic interventions
for the treatment of chronic lung diseases. Founded in 1997, Broncus
Technologies has developed the Exhale(R) Drug-Eluting Stent for use in the
airway bypass procedure, a minimally-invasive procedure to treat emphysema.
Airway bypass creates new pathways in the lung for air to escape and may
potentially improve the breathing abilities of patients with emphysema.
Broncus Technologies is currently conducting the pivotal EASE Trial to
evaluate the safety and efficacy of airway bypass in the treatment of
advanced widespread emphysema. For more information visit
theEASEtrial.
About Central DuPage Hospital
Central DuPage Hospital is a nationally recognized 361-bed facility
located in Winfield, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago. It is the third
most active hospital in Illinois performing total joint replacements. CDH
is a leading center for surgical innovations and was one of the first
institutions in the nation to offer robotic-assisted surgery, minimally
invasive spine surgery with bio-engineered bone protein as well as the
first Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in DuPage County.
Recently, CDH was recognized by U.S. News & World Report on the list of
Best Hospitals in the orthopaedics category.
The hospital is part of an interdependent network of health-care
organizations and services, including convenient care centers, occupational
health services and a full range of options for senior living, home health
and hospice care.
Central DuPage Hospital
cdh
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