Leading Medical Journal Publishes COPD Assessment Test (CAT) Summary Data
The COPD Foundation is pleased to announce the publication of exciting data about the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care, a scientific journal published by the American Thoracic Society.
The manuscript, entitled "Clinical Development and Research Applications of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT)", was a result of the COPD Biomarker Qualification Consortium’s (CBQC) work. It highlights the importance of the CAT as a clinical outcome assessment tool as beneficial both in clinical practice and in research applications.
“This achievement demonstrates the power of patient-led collaborations in paving the road to improved disease management,” said Ruth Tal-Singer, Scientific Strategy Advisor at the COPD Foundation and former Industry Chair of the CBQC.
The CAT was developed by a multidisciplinary group of international experts in COPD as a short, easy-to-use (paper or digital) tool for patients, researchers and healthcar1e providers to assess symptoms and impact of the disease as described on the CAT website (www.catestonline.org). The CBQC experts believe that the CAT is a well-established, easy-to-use tool for the management of patients with COPD and that it is a useful outcome measure for the assessment of quality of life and disease burden in clinical trials.
Debbie Merrill, Vice President of the CBQC, noted that “The work on the manuscript demonstrates the strong collaboration among clinical researchers, pharmaceutical developers, academic researchers, patients and patient advocates to achieve common goals which benefit all involved.” It is hoped that the manuscript will serve as the basis for further discussions with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to eventually lead to the qualification of the CAT as a drug development tool to facilitate with the aim to facilitate the development of new therapies for patients with COPD.
About the COPD Biomarker Qualification Consortium:
Since 2010, CBQC efforts have led to the qualification of plasma fibrinogen as the first biomarker qualified for COPD and the inclusion of the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) in the FDA COA Compendium. The Consortium produced 10 other peer-reviewed manuscripts for Fibrinogen, SGRQ and Six Minute Walk Test (SMWT) in multiple journals highlighting the value of precompetitive collaborations between patients, Industry, academic researches and government.
About the COPD Foundation:
The COPD Foundation was established to undertake initiatives that result in expanded services for COPD and to improve the lives of individuals affected by COPD. The Foundation’s activities focus on achieving these results through research, education and advocacy programs that will lead to prevention and a cure for this disease. For more information about the COPD Foundation please visit www.copdfoundation.org.
Contact:
Debbie Merrill
COPD Foundation
Vice President of COPD Biomarker Qualification Consortium (CBQC)
dmerrill@copdfoundation.org
866-731-2673, extension 410