COPD Trial, Recruiting

Written by an AI model from ClinicalTrials.gov eligibility criteria and checked on a sample basis. Please confirm against the original criteria.

Who might be able to join this trial:

• People aged between 40 and 75 years old
• People who have given written consent to take part
• People diagnosed with severe emphysema that mainly affects the upper parts of both lungs, at an advanced stage (classified as GOLD stage 3 or 4)
• People whose lung scans (taken within the last 6 months) confirm severe emphysema
• People whose breathing tests show that the lungs are severely over-inflated, with specific measurements falling within required ranges (confirm exact values with trial site)
• People whose blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels on room air fall within the required ranges
• People who experience significant breathlessness, rated at least 2 on a standard breathlessness scale
• People who can walk more than 140 metres in 6 minutes
• People who have already tried all standard non-surgical treatments for their condition, including optimised medication as recommended by international guidelines
• People who have not smoked for at least 6 months before joining the trial
• People who have completed a recognised lung or elderly care rehabilitation programme within the last 4 years (either at least 6 weeks as an outpatient, at least 3 weeks as an inpatient, or regular physical activity beyond everyday tasks such as a walking programme)
• People assessed by the trial doctor as mentally and physically able to take part in all study procedures and visits
• People whose case has been reviewed and approved by a specialist panel including lung, radiology, and chest surgery experts, in line with the relevant German quality assurance guidelines for this type of procedure

Who may not be able to join:

• People with any condition that could interfere with follow-up visits or the bronchoscopy procedure, or that could affect trial results
• People whose lung gas transfer capacity (a breathing test result) is below a certain threshold (confirm with trial site)
• People whose body weight is considered too low or too high for their height (BMI below 18 or above 32)
• People with high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs (pulmonary hypertension), based on specific pressure measurements
• People with a significant, ongoing lung infection condition called bronchiectasis
• People who have had a collapsed lung or fluid around the lungs in the last 6 months
• People who have previously had a heart or lung transplant, surgical lung reduction, removal of lung tissue, a procedure to stick the lung lining together (pleurodesis), or any surgery in the upper lungs
• People who have had a respiratory infection or a flare-up of their lung condition in the last 6 weeks
• People whose lung condition is considered unstable, including those hospitalised more than 3 times in the last year for lung-related infections, hospitalised for their lung condition in the last 3 months, or taking daily steroid tablets above a certain dose
• People with a single large air pocket (bulla) taking up more than one-third of a lung lobe, or a particular pattern of emphysema in the area to be treated
• People with blood clotting problems or who are currently taking blood-thinning medication
• People who currently have small valve devices placed in their airways, or who had such valves removed less than 6 months ago in the area to be treated
• People who have implanted coil devices in their airways
• People who have previously had a glue or polymer treatment inside their airways
• People with immune system disorders or other conditions requiring significant immune-suppressing medication
• People who have had a heart attack or serious heart event in the past year, or have been hospitalised for heart failure in the past year
• People whose main breathing condition is asthma, or who have a genetic condition called alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
• People with a known allergy or sensitivity to medications used during bronchoscopy
• People with a life expectancy of less than 12 months
• People who have been newly prescribed morphine-based pain relief within the last 4 weeks
• People who are pregnant at the time of joining the trial

Important: Always verify eligibility with the trial site directly before applying.