The AIRWARD Study: A Study to Test Whether Verducatib Helps People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

November 9, 2026 updated by: Boehringer Ingelheim

The AIRWARD Study: A Phase III, Double-blind, Randomised, Placebo-controlled, Multicentre Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Verducatib in Participants With COPD

This study is open to adults aged 40 years and older who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with ongoing symptoms. People can join the study if they are at risk of COPD flare-ups (also called acute exacerbations or sudden worsening of COPD symptoms) even though they use their usual inhaled or oral COPD medicines. They must have had at least 2 moderate COPD flare-ups or at least 1 severe COPD flare-up in the past year, including at least 1 while taking their current COPD treatment. People must also have a blood test result showing less than 300 eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) per microliter. The purpose of this study is to find out whether a medicine called verducatib helps people with COPD have fewer flare-ups or sudden worsening of COPD symptoms over up to about 1.5 years, compared with placebo. The study also looks at whether verducatib delays the time until the first flare-up, how well it is tolerated, improves participants' quality of life, and improves their lung function when compared with placebo.

In this study, participants are put into 2 groups randomly, which means by chance. One group takes verducatib as tablets and the other group takes placebo tablets. Placebo tablets look like verducatib tablets but do not contain any medicine. Participants take a tablet by mouth once a day for at least 1 year and up to about 1.5 years. All participants continue their regular COPD treatment during the study.

Participants are in the study for at least 1 year and up to about 1 year and 8 months. During this time, they have regular visits at the study site and monthly phone calls from the study staff to check on their COPD symptoms and any health problems. Doctors collect information about participants' health, including blood samples. They record how often participants have moderate or severe COPD flare-ups and how long it takes until the first flare-up. They also measure lung function and ask participants to fill in questionnaires about their symptoms and daily life. Participants have to daily report their symptoms and intake of certain medications in an electronic diary at home. The results are compared between the 2 groups to see whether verducatib helps reduce flare-ups and improves symptoms. The doctors also regularly check participants' health and note any unwanted effects.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
1800

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Italy
      • Milan, Italy, 20157
      • Milan, Italy, 20122
        • Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico
        • Contact:
      • Naples, Italy, 80131
        • Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria "Federico II"
        • Contact:
      • Roma, Italy, 00133
  • Malaysia
      • Kajang, Malaysia, 43000
      • Kelantan, Malaysia, 15586
      • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 59100
      • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 53000
  • United States
    • Alabama
      • Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35233
    • Arizona
      • Phoenix, Arizona, United States, 85027
    • California
      • La Palma, California, United States, 90623
    • Florida
      • Kissimmee, Florida, United States, 34746
      • Miami, Florida, United States, 33135
      • Miami, Florida, United States, 33182
      • Pembroke Pines, Florida, United States, 33026
    • Georgia
      • Adairsville, Georgia, United States, 30103
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30344
    • Illinois
      • Champaign, Illinois, United States, 61820
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
      • Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, 01655
    • Missouri
      • St Louis, Missouri, United States, 63141
    • Pennsylvania
      • DuBois, Pennsylvania, United States, 15801
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19140
    • South Carolina
      • Union, South Carolina, United States, 29379
    • Tennessee
      • Franklin, Tennessee, United States, 37067
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77008

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

40 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥40 years

  • Diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for at least 12 months prior to screening according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) definition

  • Post-bronchodilator (BD) forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity [FVC] <0.70 at screening and baseline

  • Post-BD forced expiratory volume in 1 second percent predicted (FEV1pp) ≥30% at screening

  • Current or former cigarette smokers with a smoking history ≥10 pack years history of cigarette smoking

  • Chronic Airways Disease Assessment Test (CAAT) score ≥10 at screening with cough and sputum sub-scores of ≥ 2

  • Documented history of ≥2 moderate or ≥1 severe exacerbations within 12 months prior to screening. At least one exacerbation must have occurred while participants were on their current COPD maintenance therapy

  • Stable standard of care considered appropriate by the investigator for at least 3 months prior to screening with either

    • Triple therapy Long-acting beta agonist (LABA) + Long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) + Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)
    • Double therapy LAMA+LABA Additional medications, e.g. as per local COPD guidelines should also be stable for at least 3 months

  • Blood eosinophil count <300 cells/µL at screening Further inclusion criteria apply.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current diagnosis of asthma, prior history of asthma, or asthma-COPD overlap. Childhood history of asthma is allowed and defined as asthma diagnosed and resolved before the age of 18
  • Clinically significant pulmonary disease other than COPD, e.g. sarcoidosis, interstitial lung disease, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
  • Past or current diagnosis of bronchiectasis or bronchiectasis-COPD overlap as assessed by the investigator
  • estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) according to Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula <30 mL/min at screening
  • Upper and lower respiratory tract infection within 4 weeks prior to screening or during the screening and randomisation period
  • Participants with bronchoscopic interventional procedures up to 3 years prior to screening
  • Prior history of or planned pneumonectomy or lung volume reduction surgery.
  • Participants who are participating in the acute phase of a pulmonary rehabilitation or smoking-cessation program, i.e. who started such program < 4 weeks prior screening
  • Moderate or severe Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) within 4 weeks prior to screening or between screening and randomisation Further exclusion criteria apply.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo group
Drug: Placebo matching verducatib

Placebo matching verducatib
Experimental: Verducatib treatment group
Drug: Verducatib

Verducatib

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Annualised rate of moderate or severe acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) (number of events per person per year)
Time Frame: Up to week 76
Up to week 76

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Time to first moderate or severe AECOPD
Time Frame: Up to week 76
Up to week 76
Time to first severe AECOPD
Time Frame: Up to week 76
Up to week 76
Achievement of St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) response (decrease in total score by ≥4 points from baseline) at week 52
Time Frame: At baseline and at week 52

SGRQ consists of 50 items covering symptoms, activity and impacts on daily life with varying response options (3 to 5-point Likert scales, dichotomous response option). Domain scores as well as a global score are generated ranging from 0 to 100, with lower scores indicating better health related Quality of Life (QoL).
At baseline and at week 52
Absolute change from baseline in post-Bronchodilator (BD) forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (milliliters) at week 52
Time Frame: At baseline and at week 52
At baseline and at week 52
Annualised rate of severe AECOPD
Time Frame: Up to week 76
Up to week 76
Absolute change from baseline in SGRQ total score at week 52
Time Frame: At baseline and at week 52
At baseline and at week 52
Achievement of Evaluating Respiratory Symptoms E-RS: COPD response (decrease by ≥2 points from baseline) at week 52
Time Frame: At baseline and at week 52

E-RS:COPD is an 11-item respiratory symptom score derived from the 14-item Exacerbations of chronic pulmonary disease tool (EXACT)-COPD diary and is used to assess the severity of daily respiratory symptoms in patients with stable COPD. It covers exacerbation-related symptoms breathlessness (5 items), cough and sputum (3 items), and chest symptoms (3 items). These items sum up to a total score ranging from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating higher symptom severity.
At baseline and at week 52
Achievement of Chronic Airways Disease Assessment Test (CAAT) response (decrease by ≥2 points from baseline) at week 52
Time Frame: At baseline and at week 52

CAAT is designed to measure health status impairment in chronic airways disease; it consists of 8 unidimensional items with scores ranging from 0 to 5 (0 = no impairment). The total score ranges from 0 - 40 with a higher score indicating a worse health status of the patient.
At baseline and at week 52
Absolute change from baseline in post-BD Forced expiratory volume in 1 second percent predicted (FEV1pp) at week 52
Time Frame: At baseline and at week 52
At baseline and at week 52

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Boehringer Ingelheim

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 10, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 12, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 10, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 23, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 26, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 1397-0047
  • 2026-527805-39-00 (Registry Identifier: CTIS (EU))
  • U1111-1345-6424 (Registry Identifier: WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP))

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Once the criteria in section "Time Frame" are fulfilled, researchers can use the following link https://www.clinicalstudies.boehringer-ingelheim.com/msw/datasharing to request access to the clinical study documents regarding this study, and upon a signed "Document Sharing Agreement".

Furthermore, researchers can request access to the clinical study data, for this and other listed studies, after the submission of a research proposal and according to the terms outlined on the website.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

One year after the approval has been granted by major Regulatory Authorities and after the primary manuscript has been accepted for publication, or after termination of the development program.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

For study documents - upon signing of a "Document Sharing Agreement". For study data - 1. after the submission and approval of the research proposal (checks will be performed by the sponsor and/or the independent review panel, including checking that the planned analysis does not compete with sponsor's publication plan); 2. and upon signing of a legal agreement.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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