Digital Health and Therapeutics
Accelerator Network

COPD360Net’s Mission is to support the development and adoption of novel digital health tools, medical devices and therapeutics that treat COPD, bronchiectasis, and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease.

In order to advance the development of new medicines, or the repurposing of existing drugs, a new approach is needed. COPD360Net is designed to facilitate, review, and expedite clinical trials for new therapies, medical devices, and digital health tools. In addition, COPD360Net is focused on implementation science – facilitating discovery to delivery.

Why COPD360Net?

While important strides have been made in improving the care for those with COPD, the last regulatory approval of a new mechanism of action therapeutic in COPD was in 2011, and drug development remains focused on individuals with moderate to advanced airflow limitation (GOLD 2-4).

In order to advance the development of new medicines, or the repurposing of existing drugs, a new approach is needed. COPD360Net is designed to facilitate, review, and expedite clinical trials for new therapies and digital health tools. In addition, COPD360Net is focused on implementation science – facilitating discovery to delivery.

Ultimately, the network will serve as an accelerator to speed innovation through patient-centered evidence generation and enabling clinical adoption.

What is COPD360Net?

COPD360Net is a network of core COPD Foundation accredited care centers, experts in the field of COPD and related lung disease, and relevant subject matter experts (including a Health Economist assessing Patient preferences and Valuation of the COPDF pipeline, a psychosocial expert studying cognitive impairment in chronic disease, and Primary Care physicians).

COPD360Net is governed by a Steering Committee of clinical lead expert representatives from participating centers, key content experts, and people with COPD and caregivers. The initial pipeline will be selected by the Steering Committee in partnership with the relevant subject-matter experts and the COPD Foundation’s Community Engagement Committee (CenCo), a diverse patient and caregiver committee.

The goals for COPD360Net are to:

  • Accelerate the adoption and reimbursement of digital health tools
  • Accelerate the development of novel therapies, including promising repurposed or shelved molecules
  • Innovate clinical trial designs: target specific COPD sub populations, use new endpoints, and take a mostly remote digital trials approach
  • Translate trial findings and patient preference into practice to inform optimal care delivery and reimbursement

All potential proceeds from COPD360Net will be used to support the COPD Foundation mission.

COPD360Net Steering Committee Members

  • Ruth Tal-Singer, PhD (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR)
    President & Chief Scientific Officer
    COPD Foundation

    Ruth Tal-Singer, PhD

    Ruth Tal-Singer, PhD President & Chief Scientific Officer at the COPD Foundation (consultant) and President of TalSi Translational Medicine Consulting, LLC is internationally recognized as an innovative, patient-focused and highly analytical healthcare leader and clinical scientist with extensive Research and Development experience. She has a proven history of successfully leading international public and private partnerships and non-profit organizations through critical advancements and progress of clinical trials and large observational cohorts. Adept at building and maintaining partnerships between Pharma, patients, academia and governments. Wide-ranging technical and scientific knowledge comprises molecular biology, immunology, application of digital technology and in vivo disease models (pre-clinical and clinical). Ruth led the initial clinical development of GSK’s inhaled anti-muscarinic portfolio, currently available to patients as Umeclidinium bromide. Authored 160+ peer-reviewed including highly cited scientific publications (h-index 58). Ruth was the Industry co-chair of the COPD Biomarker Qualification Consortium (CBQC) since its inception in 2010 and up to her retirement from GSK in October 2019. As President & Chief Scientific Officer at the COPD Foundation, Ruth is focused on working with the leadership team and the MASAC on aligning the research strategy with the mission of the COPD Foundation.
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  • Brad Drummond, MD (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE)
    Head of COPD360Net Digital Health and Therapeutic Pipeline Working Group
    Associate Professor
    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Jerry Krishnan, MD, PhD (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE)
    Head of COPD360Net Care Delivery Science Working
    Professor of Medicine and Public Health Associate & Vice Chancellor for Population Health Sciences
    University of Illinois at Chicago
    Chicago, IL
  • Wilson D. Pace, MD (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE)
    Co-Lead of Primary Care and Integrated Practice Working Group
    American Academy of Family Physicians
    Chief Medical Officer, DARTNet
  • Jean Rommes, PhD (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE)
    Head of COPD360Net Patient and Caregiver Engagement Working Group
    Patient Representative
    West Des Moines, IA
  • Juan P. Wisnivesky, MD, DrPH (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE)
    Co-Lead of Primary Care and Integrated Practice Working Group
    Society of General Internal Medicine
    Professor, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Cara B. Pasquale, MPH (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE)
    COPD360Net Project Lead
    COPD Foundation

    Cara B. Pasquale, MPH

    Cara B. Pasquale is the Senior Director of Research at the COPD Foundation and Project Lead for COPD360Net. Ms. Pasquale has been with the COPD Foundation since 2014 where she was focused on establishing and growing the COPD Patient-Powered Research Network and engaging with patient and caregiver partners. In her current role she oversees several research projects and is focused on building the COPD Foundation’s COPD360Net program. She is skilled at overseeing and managing complex projects and has several years of public health experience including working with researchers to translate their work into action, community interventions, systematic literature reviews and engaging stakeholders. Ms. Pasquale holds a Master in Public Health from George Washington University and is a certified project management professional (PMP).
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  • Surya Bhatt, MD
    Associate Professor
    University of Alabama, Birmingham
  • Gerard Criner, MD
    Chair and Professor, Thoracic Medicine and Surgery
    Temple University
    Philadelphia, PA
  • MeiLan Han, MD, MS
    Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care
    University of Michigan
    Ann Arbor, MI
  • Karin Hoth, PhD, ABPP
    Associate Professor of Psychiatry
    University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
    Iowa City, IA
  • Ravi Kalhan, MD
    Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Preventive Medicine (Epidemiology)
    Northwestern University
    Chicago, IL
  • Jill Ohar, MD
    Professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Immunologic Medicine
    Wake Forest Baptist Health
    Winston-Salem, NC
  • Fernando Martinez, MD
    Bruce Webster Professor of Internal Medicine, Professor of Medicine, Professor of Genetic Medicine
    Cornell University
    New York, NY
  • Richard Mularski, MD, MSHS, MCR
    COPD Patient-Powered Research Network co-PI Representative
    Professor of Health Systems Science, KP Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
    Clinical Professor of Medicine, OHSU
    The Center for Health Research
    Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Portland, OR
  • Julia F. Slejko, PhD
    Assistant Professor
    Pharmaceutical Health Services Research
    University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
    Baltimore, MD
  • Robert (Bob) Wise, MD
    Professor of Medicine
    Johns Hopkins University
    Baltimore, MD

COPD360Net Partners

Blue Marble Health

The COPD Foundation and Blue Marble Health, a company with a remote monitoring platform for healthy living, have entered into a strategic alliance to increase access and adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation through a peer supported virtual pulmonary rehabilitation program. Learn more by clicking here.

DevPro Biopharma

The COPD Foundation and DevPro Biopharma, a clinical research and development company, have entered into a strategic alliance to develop more therapies for people with COPD and related lung conditions. Click here to learn more.

Who can I contact about COPD360Net?

Cara Pasquale, Project Lead for COPD360Net at cpasquale@copdfoundation.org.

Please note that at this time we are only reviewing proposals for Phase II ready and beyond.