GOOD COPD CONTROL AND THE EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL – WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON?

Abstract

The European Green Deal is the European Union’s growth strategy, a set of policy initiatives that kick-starts the EU’s green transition and aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. In this strategy, inhaled drugs were included, so the budesonide/ glycopyrrolate/ formoterol (BUD/GLY/FORM) Aerosphere inhaler has replaced the HFA-134a propellant with the next-generation HFA-1234ze propellant. The next-generation propellants are virtually zero greenhouse gas emissions, non-toxic, non-persistent, and non-biodegradable. On 25th July 2025, the BUD/GLY/FORM Aerosphere was approved by the European Medicines Agency as the first inhaler with an environmentally friendly propellant. The “greenest” patient is the one whose disease is under control. Poorly controlled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has the greatest impact on greenhouse gas emissions. BUD/GLY/FORM as a triple therapy is associated with cardiopulmonary risk prevention, effectively reducing COPD exacerbations. BUD/GLY/FORM results show that prompt administration of triple therapy after an exacerbation can ensure a lower risk of comorbidities and have a significant impact on long-term outcomes. Triple therapy in a single inhaler BUD/GLY/FORM reduced the risk of death from all causes in patients with moderate, severe, or very severe COPD.