ERS Congress 2026 Preview: Late-Breaking Trials to Know

When the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress convenes in Barcelona, Spain, from September 5 to 9, 2026, pulmonology will arrive at one of its more consequential inflection points in recent memory. Chronic obstructive pulmonary diasese (COPD), long the field's most undertreated major disease, is undergoing a meaningful therapeutic expansion: the first phase 3 data for an IL-33 receptor antagonist in exacerbation prevention will be presented, eosinophil-guided ICS strategy is being tested in a prospective randomized design for the first time, and questions about beta-blocker use in COPD without cardiovascular disease are getting a direct answer. In asthma, the next wave of anti-TSLP biology is arriving — a bispecific antibody targeting both TSLP and IL-4Rα and a long-acting anti-TSLP candidate with a 6-month dosing interval are each presenting first human data. In IPF, nerandomilast's open-label extension brings long-term safety data that will inform the field's growing conversation about combination antifibrotic therapy, while back-to-back sessions on Monday and Tuesday will present early clinical results from RNA and base editing programs targeting the PI*ZZ mutation in AATD — a first for any major respiratory congress.

The HCPLive editorial team will be on site in Barcelona for coverage and interviews throughout the meeting.

Sunday, September 6

1. Eosinophil-Guided ICS Therapy in COPD: The COPERNICOS Trial

Jens-Ulrik Stæhr Jensen, MD, PhD | 16:30–17:30 CEST

Blood eosinophil counts have long been proposed as a biomarker to guide ICS use in COPD, but prospective randomized evidence for eosinophil-directed treatment decisions has remained limited. COPERNICOS tests this directly in an RCT evaluating whether eosinophil-guided ICS escalation or de-escalation improves outcomes compared to standard care in patients with severe COPD. HCPLive will be speaking with Jensen following his presentation to discuss the trial design and what the results mean for eosinophil-guided prescribing in clinical practice.

2. Metoprolol in COPD Without Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Josefin Sundh, MD, PhD | 11:00 CEST

Beta-blocker use in COPD has been debated for decades, with observational data suggesting cardiovascular and respiratory benefit but few prospective trials. This RCT directly addresses whether metoprolol — a cardioselective beta-1 blocker — is safe and effective in patients with COPD who lack an established cardiovascular indication, a population routinely excluded from landmark beta-blocker trials.

3. Tozorakimab Modulates COPD Airway Biology Beyond Type 2 Inflammation: FRONTIER-4

Giovanna De Palo, MD | 14:15 CEST

Tozorakimab is a monoclonal antibody targeting IL-33, an epithelial alarmin released in response to viral infection and tissue damage that drives both type 2 and non-type 2 airway inflammation. FRONTIER-4 is a phase 2 mechanistic study examining tozorakimab's effects on COPD airway biology — including translational biomarkers beyond eosinophils — providing biological context ahead of the phase 3 OBERON and TITANIA exacerbation data presented Tuesday.

4. Zumilokibart (APG777) and Durable FeNO Suppression in Asthma

Mario Castro, MD, MPH | 16:30–17:30 CEST

Zumilokibart (APG777) is a next-generation anti-IL-13 antibody engineered for extended half-life, designed to offer meaningful dosing intervals beyond current approved agents. This late-breaking abstract reports a single-dose study demonstrating durable suppression of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) through 32 weeks in patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, establishing proof-of-pharmacodynamic-concept for the program.

5. GRI-0621 in IPF: Phase 2a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Marlies Wijsenbeek, MD, PhD | 15:45 CEST

GRI-0621 is an oral agonist selective for retinoic acid receptor β/γ (RARβ/γ), a nuclear receptor pathway implicated in alveolar epithelial repair and the attenuation of TGF-β–driven fibrogenesis. This phase 2a randomized trial reports safety, translational biomarker data, and lung function signals in patients with IPF, representing an early clinical readout for a mechanism largely unexplored in antifibrotic development. HCPLive will be talking with Wijsenbeek about these results and what the RARβ/γ mechanism adds to the current antifibrotic landscape.

Monday, September 7

6. In Vivo Base Editing for AATD: YOLT-202 Phase 1/2 Trial

Simon Krooss, PhD | 11:00–12:15 CEST

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency caused by the PI*ZZ genotype results from a missense mutation in SERPINA1 that causes misfolding and hepatic accumulation of AAT protein, with downstream lung and liver disease. YOLT-202 uses adenine base editing delivered in vivo to correct the PI*ZZ mutation at the DNA level — a strategy that, if effective, would represent disease modification rather than protein replacement.

7. RNA Editing for AATD: RestorAATion-2 Interim Results

Cynthia Caracta, MD | 11:00–12:15 CEST

RNA editing offers an alternative to permanent DNA modification for AATD: rather than correcting the underlying SERPINA1 mutation, ADAR-mediated RNA editing restores the sequence at the transcript level, transiently normalizing AAT protein production and reducing the burden of misfolded Z-AAT in hepatocytes. RestorAATion-2 presents interim phase 2 data with primary interest in circulating AAT levels and hepatic biomarkers.

8. ATI-052, a Bispecific Anti-TSLP/IL-4Rα Antibody: First-in-Human Phase 1a Data

Christopher Brightling, MD, PhD | 15:45–17:00 CEST

ATI-052 is a bispecific monoclonal antibody engineered to simultaneously block TSLP and the IL-4Rα subunit shared by IL-4 and IL-13 receptors, targeting upstream epithelial alarmin signaling and downstream type 2 effector cytokines with a single agent. This first-in-human phase 1a study reports pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and initial safety in healthy volunteers and subjects with mild asthma.

9. Selective TRPA-1 Antagonist in IPF-Associated Chronic Cough: Phase 2a/2b (BI 1839100)

Marlies Wijsenbeek, MD, PhD | 11:00 CEST

Chronic cough affects a significant proportion of patients with IPF and represents a major unmet need with no approved therapy; TRPA-1 is a sensory receptor expressed in airway epithelium that responds to mechanical stretch, acid, and inflammatory mediators and is thought to drive cough hypersensitivity in fibrotic disease. This phase 2a/2b randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of BI 1839100 provides the first controlled evidence on selective TRPA-1 blockade for IPF-associated cough. HCPLive will be asking Wijsenbeek about this readout alongside the GRI-0621 data to get her perspective on what these two trials together signal for the IPF pipeline.

10. Lunsekimig for Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps: DUET Trial

Stella Lee, MD | 11:00–12:15 CEST

Lunsekimig is a bispecific antibody targeting both IL-13 and TSLP, combining type 2 cytokine blockade with upstream epithelial alarmin suppression — a mechanism not covered by dupilumab or tezepelumab alone. The DUET trial presents phase 3 efficacy and safety data in patients with CRSwNP, a disease with established biologic options but persistent burden in incomplete responders.

Tuesday, September 8

11. Tozorakimab to Prevent COPD Exacerbations: OBERON and TITANIA Phase 3

Frank Sciurba, MD, FCCP | 13:45 CEST

Tozorakimab (MEDI3506) blocks IL-33, an alarmin released during cellular stress and viral infection that activates ST2-expressing innate immune cells and drives both eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic airway inflammation in COPD. OBERON and TITANIA are replicate phase 3 randomized controlled trials evaluating tozorakimab's effect on moderate-to-severe exacerbation rates across a broad COPD population — the replicate design and breadth of the target population make this among the highest-stakes data readouts of the congress.

12. VALIANT: Phase 2 Trial of Verekitug in Severe Asthma

Michael Wechsler, MD | 09:30 CEST

Verekitug targets the TSLP receptor directly rather than the ligand, representing a mechanistically distinct approach to TSLP pathway blockade compared with tezepelumab. VALIANT is a phase 2 randomized trial reporting efficacy and safety in patients with severe asthma, with results that will inform how the anti-TSLP class may expand beyond the first approved agent.

13. BEAM-302: First-in-Human In Vivo Gene Editing for Severe AATD

John Hurst, MD, PhD | 09:30 CEST

HCPLive will be speaking with Hurst onsite to learn more about BEAM-302, which uses lipid nanoparticle delivery to introduce adenine base editors directly into hepatocytes in vivo, correcting the PI*ZZ point mutation at the genomic level without permanent DNA double-strand breaks. Initial phase 1/2 data represent the first clinical evidence for in vivo base editing in any respiratory or hepatic genetic disease, with primary endpoints focused on circulating AAT levels, hepatic safety, and off-target editing assessment.

14. Nerandomilast Safety and Tolerability in IPF and PPF: FIBRONEER-ON

Wim Wuyts, MD, PhD | 12:15–13:15 CEST

Nerandomilast is a selective PDE4B inhibitor that reduces fibroblast activation and macrophage-driven inflammation through a cAMP-dependent mechanism distinct from both pirfenidone and nintedanib. The FIBRONEER-ON open-label extension provides long-term safety and tolerability data from patients with IPF and progressive pulmonary fibrosis continuing nerandomilast after the pivotal FIBRONEER trial — data that will directly inform the feasibility of combination antifibrotic regimens as the field evaluates dual therapy as a next step. HCPLive will be sitting down with Wuyts to discuss what the extension data reveal about nerandomilast's long-term profile and where combination strategies go from here.