New drug Daxas offers hope to lung disease sufferers

A new drug could offer hope to thousands of people suffering with a chronic lung disease in the Black Country and Staffordshire - but only if doctors ask for it.

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A new drug could offer hope to thousands of people suffering with a chronic lung disease in the Black Country and Staffordshire - but only if doctors ask for it.

The first drug to specifically target the causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, known as Daxas, is now available as a prescription on the NHS but health trusts in the region have not given it approval and will only consider making it available if GPs ask for it.

The condition leads to shortness of breath and long term health problems.

There are more than 29,000 people in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, South Staffordshire and Sandwell diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD.

There are believed to be many more thousands of people with the disease who have not been diagnosed.

Now a leading expert on the condition has called on GPs in the region to give Daxas serious consideration.

Professor Robert Stockley from University Hospital Birmingham has been researching COPD for 30 years and he described Daxas, or roflumilast, as a milestone in the treatment of the condition.

He said: "Daxas is the first treatment specifically aimed at COPD. In the past we have used medicines for conditions such as asthma and I'm not saying those drugs are ineffective but they are not aimed at COPD specifically."

Prof Stockley, who has no links with the company who developed Daxas, added the drug worked by reducing inflammation in the lungs which caused the production of phlegm and would be of particular benefit to patients with the worst symptoms.

He said: "The indication from the clinical trials are very good. I think this is the first of what is likely to be new treatments for COPD."

The drug is derived from compounds found in onions.

Primary Care Trust's across the region have told the Express & Star the drug is not on the approved lists but that doctors can request a patient be prescribed the medicine and it can then be considered.

In Wolverhampton there are around 4,100 people diagnosed with COPD, Dudley has 4,850 and in Sandwell the number of patients is 6,000. Walsall has around 5,150 patients and

in South Staffordshire the number with the condition is 8,946.