A randomised, open-label, multifactorial, multicentre, platform trial using a range of repurposed anti-inflammatory treatments to improve outcomes in patients with bronchiectasis within the EMBARC clinical research network. (AIRNET)

A single clinical trial is testing three existing drugs—an antibiotic, an alcohol-dependence treatment, and a blood-thinner—to see if any can calm the lung inflammation that drives bronchiectasis. Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung condition where damaged airways trap mucus, leading to repeated infections and worsening inflammation. Current treatments focus on clearing mucus and fighting infections, but no therapy specifically targets the underlying inflammatory process. This trial aims to fill that gap by repurposing drugs already known to be safe in humans, bypassing the years and cost of developing a new compound from scratch. If any of these drugs shows a clear anti-inflammatory effect, it could become a cheap, readily available treatment option for the hundreds of thousands of people with bronchiectasis in the UK. That would mean fewer flare-ups, less lung damage, and a reduced burden on NHS respiratory services. The trial’s adaptive design also means ineffective drugs are dropped early, and promising ones can be fast-tracked into larger studies—making the whole process of finding a treatment faster and more efficient.