Bronchiectasis is a lung condition where airways become damaged and widened, trapping mucus and causing repeated infections. It affects roughly 350,000 to 500,000 people in the US, though many cases go undiagnosed. Treatment focuses on clearing mucus, managing infections, and preventing further lung damage.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing inhaled antibiotics to prevent flare-ups, anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce airway damage, and mucoactive agents that help clear mucus more effectively. Researchers are also studying the lung microbiome to understand which bacteria drive disease progression and whether targeted treatments can break the infection cycle.
Inhaled antibiotics
Several inhaled antibiotic formulations are in late-stage testing to reduce infection frequency. Brensocatib, which blocks an enzyme driving inflammation, completed phase 3 trials showing fewer exacerbations.
Macrolide antibiotics
Long-term azithromycin is being studied not just for its antibiotic effect but for anti-inflammatory properties. Trials are refining which patients benefit most and for how long.
Mucus clearance
New drugs and devices aim to make mucus thinner and easier to cough up. Studies are testing whether better mucus clearance prevents lung function decline over time.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on how many infections you've had in the past year, lung function test results, and which bacteria appear in sputum cultures.
What types of trials are currently open
- Antibiotic trials — Testing inhaled or oral antibiotics to prevent infections and reduce flare-ups, often comparing different antibiotics or dosing schedules.
- Anti-inflammatory trials — Testing drugs that reduce airway inflammation and may slow lung damage, including enzyme inhibitors and repurposed medications.
- Mucoactive trials — Testing treatments that thin mucus or help clear it from the lungs, often combined with airway clearance techniques.
- Device studies — Testing vibrating vests, oscillating devices, and other tools that help loosen and clear mucus.
- Observational studies — Following people with bronchiectasis to learn what causes flare-ups, how the disease progresses, and what imaging or blood tests predict outcomes.
Recently added Bronchiectasis trials
Share your asthma or COPD treatment data over 12 months
This prospective, real-world observational study (T2AIR Study) evaluates the long-term efficacy and safety of six biologics targeting Type 2 inflammation - omalizumab, mepolizumab, benralizumab, dupilumab, tezepelumab, and depemokimab - in patients with chronic airway diseases, including asthma and COPD under routine clinical practice in China. The primary objective is to determine the annualized exacerbation rate (AER) over 12 months of treatment. Secondary objectives include time to first exacerbation, frequency of severe exacerbations, improvements in symptom control and quality of life (using disease-specific questionnaires), lung function (FEV₁, FVC), airway inflammatory biomarkers (FeNO, blood eosinophils, serum IgE), oral corticosteroid (OCS) sparing effect in asthma patients, and treatment persistence. Safety outcomes will assess the incidence, types, and severity of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs). Exploratory endpoints include high-resolution CT (HRCT)-based imaging markers of airway remodeling and the development of deep learning-based multimodal predictive models integrating clinical, biomarker, and radiomics data to support personalized treatment. Additionally, blood, sputum, and urine samples will be collected for translational research to explore underlying mechanisms and predictors of biologic response. This study aims to generate robust real-world evidence on the effectiveness and safety of Type 2-targeted biologics across the broad spectrum of chronic airway diseases in a diverse Chinese patient population.
Efficacy and Safety of Bronchoscopic Local Amikacin Instillation for Acute Exacerbations of Bronchiectasis in Adults: A Multicenter, Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial
Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory system disease characterized by irreversible structural dilation of the bronchi, persistent cough, and alternating periods of stability and acute exacerbation during the clinical course. Although airway clearance techniques (ACTs) are widely recommended, some hospitalized patients are unable to fully participate in conventional physical therapy due to respiratory difficulties or impaired sputum clearance. Bronchoscopic airway clearance therapy (B-ACT), combined with bronchoalveolar lavage under direct bronchoscopic visualization, can remove airway secretions. Previous studies have shown that bronchoscopy-guided airway clearance therapy (B-ACT) may prolong the time from discharge to the first exacerbation. In China, there have been studies exploring the use of bronchoscopy-guided alveolar lavage combined with local application of amikacin to treat patients with bronchiectasis. This study aims to explore whether the local application of amikacin after bronchoscopy-guided saline alveolar lavage provides greater benefits for patients with acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis compared to conventional treatment (non-bronchoscopy lavage) and bronchoscopy-guided saline alveolar lavage. The goal is to apply this treatment method in clinical practice to reduce the frequency of acute exacerbations in patients with bronchiectasis, improve prognosis, and enhance quality of life.
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