Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – Unmet Need – Unmet Need – Severe to Very Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (US EU)

The severe to very severe chronic COPD market is crowded, with numerous LAMA, LABA/ICS, LABA/LAMA, and triple LABA/LAMA/ICS inhalers competing for use. Although dual and triple longacting bronchodilators remain the backbone of treatment, clinicians are increasingly interested in therapies that better address exacerbation risk, steroid responsiveness, and emerging inflammatory endotypes. Newer entrants, such as the biologics Dupixent (IL-4  / IL-13 inhibitor) and Nucala (IL-5 inhibitor) and the dual PDE3 / PDE4 inhibitor Ohtuvayre, signal a meaningful shift that may reshape the competitive landscape over the next ten years. Yet, despite expanding options, no available therapy can halt COPD progression or repair damaged lung tissue. Current treatments primarily relieve symptoms, but patients’ quality of life still suffers, and the disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Many patients, particularly those with severe disease, are inadequately controlled. As a result, substantial unmet need persists for more effective, disease-modifying therapies.

Questions answered

• Which drug attributes, such as improvement in lung function, reduction of exacerbation rates, and ease of administration, most influence pulmonologists’ prescribing decisions for severe to very severe COPD? Which have limited impact, and which are hidden opportunities?
• How do current therapies, such as GSK’s Anoro, Trelegy, and Nucala; AstraZeneca’s Symbicort and Breztri / Trixeo; Sanofi / Regeneron’s Dupixent; and Merck’s Ohtuvayre perform on these attributes?
• What trade-offs across clinical and nonclinical attributes and price are acceptable to U.S. and European pulmonologists for a hypothetical new COPD drug?

Product description

Unmet Need offers insight into key treatment drivers and goals, the performance of current therapies, and the remaining commercial opportunities, enabling you to:

• Evaluate clinical and nonclinical product attributes that influence treatment decisions through physicians’ weightings and analysis of stated vs. derived importance.
• Pinpoint areas of high unmet need by assessing current drug performance against key attributes and treatment drivers.
• Analyze market scenarios for different target product profiles using the TPP Simulator.

Publication date

April 2026

Geography

United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom

Primary research

Survey of 60 U.S. and 30 European pulmonologists

Key drugs covered

Dupixent, Nucala, Ohtuvayre, Trelegy, Breztri / Trixeo

Key analyses

• Importance of clinical and nonclinical product attributes to physicians
• Assessment of current drug performance against treatment drivers and goals
• Physician perceptions of unmet needs in the indication and related indications
• Remaining drug development opportunities

Key feature

Target Product Profile (TPP) simulator tool allows for customizable market simulations based on conjoint analysis. Compare up to seven TPPs across multiple disease-specific attributes and price points to gauge which variables influence prescribing behavior.