The ERS International Congress 2022 was the organization’s first annual meeting after a two-year pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 10,000 delegates present on-site and 5,000 participating virtually. Over 3,500 poster sessions, 500 presentations, and 300 industry sessions covered all aspects of respiratory diseases.
The ERS International Congress 2022 took place on September 4-6 in Barcelona, Spain. It brought together the world’s respiratory experts to present and discuss the latest scientific and clinical advances in respiratory medicine, including respiratory tract infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, and respiratory tract cancers. This white paper will discuss the presentations and abstracts with the most significant advances in diagnostic and treatment approaches in various indications and how they can potentially influence clinical trials.
There was a focus on recent updates within asthma research, including the immunology and possible mechanisms of the disease, target receptors, and the role of biologics in disease management and diagnostic approaches, particularly in pediatric asthma. The presenters also discussed the rationale for the early administration of effective antibiotics to treat pneumonia, a new guideline on the management of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, and approaches to diagnosis and treatment of severe community-acquired pneumonia and respiratory syncytial virus infection.
Finally, COVID-19 was a continuing topic of discussion with its impact on the natural course of various pulmonary diseases and the push for the rapid development of telemedicine. Already broadly applied in clinical practice, the latter continues to impact the design and conduct of clinical trials, including enrollment of patients, study endpoints, and procedures.
