Abstract
Across the globe, millions of people live with chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Despite treatment advances, many patients do not always receive a timely diagnosis, impacting optimal care for their condition, which is a situation that must be addressed. Scientific and medical innovation has brought patients a variety of treatments, such as combination therapies and biologics. In clinical practice, this translates to healthcare professionals being able to offer patients more options to manage their condition, including therapies that treat the underlying biology of the disease. While there has been progress in the respiratory community in achieving earlier diagnosis and initiating appropriate treatment, there is still more to be done. EMJ interviewed Celeste Porsbjerg, Professor of Severe Asthma in the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, where they head the severe asthma clinic, and chair the Respiratory Research Unit; and COPD expert John Hurst, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at University College London (UCL), UK, to hear their perspectives on where the respiratory community is going in terms of aiming for asthma remission and more proactive treatment of COPD, and what the focus should be in the future.