Nijmegen, 6 May, 2025 – Thirona, a global leader in AI-powered lung image analysis, enters a long-term partnership with the COPD Foundation to conduct a large-scale research study on the COPDGene cohort involving more than 10,000 research volunteers. This collaboration aims to extract and validate a range of AI-based quantitative CT (QCT) measures, identifying imaging biomarkers that hold the greatest potential for improving COPD phenotyping and advancing precision care. 

By leveraging advanced image quantification through Thirona’s LungQ® analytical capabilities, including Bronchial-Artery Analysis (LungQ-BA) and Mucus Plug Quantification (LungQ‐MP), the study will help unlock deeper insights into the heterogeneity of COPD. The ultimate goal is to support the development of more effective, targeted therapies and improve patient engagement through a clearer understanding of their disease trajectory. 

"We believe that the future of COPD care lies in the ability to personalize treatment strategies by better understanding the disease’s complexities through objective imaging metrics. Partnering with the COPD Foundation allows us to accelerate this mission."
— Prof. Dr. Harm Tiddens, Chief Medical Officer, Thirona 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) affects more than 390 million people worldwide and is the fourth leading cause of death globally (Global Burden of Disease Study, 2020; WHO, 2021). Its heterogeneous nature makes it difficult to classify, diagnose, and treat effectively. Despite significant progress in therapeutics, only 15–20% of COPD patients respond predictably to current treatment options (Celli et al., AJRCCM, 2022).  

This complexity continues to challenge both clinicians and drug developers, underscoring the need for improved phenotyping – essential to support precision medicine approaches (Han et al., 2023). AI-based QCT enables reproducible, objective assessments of disease components - such as emphysema, airway disease, and vascular remodeling (Lynch et al., 2022) – providing data-driven insights to potentially enable better patient stratification and support novel drug development. 

This study will build upon more than a decade of research within the COPDGene project, where Thirona has served as a longstanding imaging analysis partner. The new phase of work will: 

• Analyze segmental-level bronchial-artery dimensions and mucus plug burden across the full cohort; 

• Validate QCT measures as reliable markers of disease subtypes and progression; 

• Explore correlations between imaging-derived phenotypes and clinical outcomes over time. 

"AI imaging is transforming how we understand the complexities of COPD. The ability to automate CT analysis is transformative for disease understanding. This partnership represents an important step toward understanding COPD at a level not previously possible and will potentially enable precision medicine approaches to help the millions of people with COPD live longer, healthier lives."
— Dr. Bruce Miller, Chief Scientific Officer, COPD Foundation 

By making disease progression explainable and visible, this initiative is expected to not only support scientific discovery and therapeutic development but also contribute to patient empowerment. When patients can clearly see and understand the course of their disease, it fosters improved engagement, better adherence to treatment, and ultimately - better outcomes. 

 

References 

Global Burden of Disease Study, 2020 – COPD prevalence and impact.
https://www.thelancet.com/gbd  

World Health Organization – The top 10 causes of death in 2021.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death 

Celli BR et al., AJRCCM, 2022 – Limitations of current treatment responses in COPD.
https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202112-2733PP  

Han MK et al., The Lancet, 2023 – Advances in COPD phenotyping.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00304-4  

Lynch DA et al., Radiology, 2022 – QCT metrics in COPD clinical trials.
https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.210686  

 

For more information, please contact:
mediarelations@thirona.eu
www.thirona.eu