Allergy, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease pose a significant burden on healthcare systems in the Western world. The Department of Clinical Pharmacology has a close collaboration with the Research Unit at the Department of Respiratory Diseases and Allergy to evaluate novel therapies in phase II-IV clinical trials, of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to identify more effective and safe treatment options.

We are furthermore interested in identifying diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for a range of allergic conditions and pulmonary diseases. We have previously contributed to the validation of NT-proBNP as a biomarker of pulmonary hypertension in patients with interstitial lung disease, and have discovered a biomarker of activation of eosinophil granulocytes (ECP) with can be used to predict the risk of asthma development in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Current projects include a double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial, testing the effect of oral morphine suspension in palliative management of dyspnea in patients with severe interstitial lung disease. The project is a collaboration with the Department of Respiratory Diseases and Allergy, Aarhus University Hospital.

Andersen CU, Mellemkjær S, Hilberg O, Bendstrup E. NT-proBNP <95 ng/l can exclude pulmonary hypertension on echocardiography at diagnostic workup in patients with interstitial lung disease. Eur Clin Respir J. 2016 Jul 29;3:32027.

Andersen CU, Mellemkjær S, Nielsen-Kudsk JE, Bendstrup E, Hilberg O, Simonsen  U. Pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive and interstitial lung diseases. Int J Cardiol. 2013 Oct 3;168(3):1795-804.

Nielsen LP, Peterson CG, Dahl R. Serum eosinophil granule proteins predict asthma risk in allergic rhinitis. Allergy. 2009 May;64(5):733-7.