Efficacy and safety of a monoclonal antibody recognizing interleukin-8 in COPD - A pilot study

Study objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a fully human monoclonal antibody recognizing the chemokine interleukin (IL)-8 in patients with COPD. Design: Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial. Setting: Eighteen clinics/hospitals in the United States. Patients: One hundred nine patients with stable COPD. Interventions: Three IV infusions of either monoclonal antibody recognizing IL-8 (800-mg loading dose; 400-mg subsequent doses) or active buffer solution administered monthly over a 3-month period. Measurements and results: The differences in the transition dyspnea index (TDI) total score, the primary outcome measure, between fully human monoclonal IgG, antibody directed against IL-8 and placebo were 0.8, 1.0, 0.8, and 0.3 at week 2 (p = 0.046) and months 1 to 3, respectively. At all time points, the proportion of patients achieving greater than or equal to 1 point improvement in the TDI was greater for the monoclonal antibody group compared with the placebo group: 28% vs 11% at week 2 (p = 0.028). There were no significant differences observed for lung function, health status, 6-min walking distance, and adverse events between groups. Conclusions: The results of this phase 2 study suggest that neutralization of IL-8 with monoclonal antibody therapy may improve dyspnea in patients with COPD. These results support the further investigation of monoclonal antibody therapy targeting IL-8 for the treatment of this disease.