Patrick Regan, 67, from Catford, slid the needle into his thigh at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, becoming the first person in the UK to receive a groundbreaking new injection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—marking a turning point for millions living with a condition that claims 85 lives here every day. The drug, dupilumab, is the first to precisely target the underlying inflammation driving COPD flare-ups, offering hope where previous treatments have fallen short. For Regan, who was diagnosed 15 years ago and has watched his world shrink with each breath, the injection is a chance to walk with his grandchildren without gasping for air.
COPD, the second-leading cause of hospital admissions in the UK, costs the NHS £2 billion annually and affects over 3 million people—though many remain undiagnosed. While bronchodilators and steroid inhalers have long been the standard, they don’t address the root cause in a targeted way. Dupilumab changes that. Developed for patients with an eosinophil-driven subtype of COPD—a form affecting around 80 million people globally—the drug zeroes in on inflammatory proteins IL-4 and IL-13, reducing airway swelling and mucus production. In clinical trials, it cut annual exacerbations by 30% to 34%, a dramatic reduction for a disease where flare-ups can mean hospitalization or worse.
The breakthrough is the culmination of two decades of research led by Professor Mona Bafadhel, NIHR Research Professor and director of the King’s Centre for Lung Health at King’s College London. Bafadhel was among the first to identify the role of eosinophils in COPD, paving the way for precision medicine in respiratory care. “We don’t know the exact role of the eosinophil in COPD, but patients with this type of inflammation often have more exacerbations,” she said. “Identifying these patients means we can be much more precise in our treatments.”
Now approved by NICE, dupilumab is administered in hospital initially, with patients like Regan receiving their first dose under supervision. From the second injection onward, they’ll self-administer every two weeks using a pen device similar to insulin injectors—offering greater independence. Over the next year, clinicians will monitor symptoms closely, and if improvements hold, the treatment will continue long-term.
For the Regan family, the stakes are deeply personal. “Over the last 15 years, Patrick has significantly deteriorated,” said his wife, Dionne. “When he gets rushed to hospital, that affects me and the children and grandchildren.” The goal is simple: fewer emergencies, more moments together. As dupilumab rolls out across the UK, it signals not just a new therapy, but a new era—one where treatment is no longer one-size-fits-all, but tailored to the biology of the disease. And for patients like Patrick, that could mean breathing easier, and living fuller.