A Phase IIa Study to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of AZD7624 in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients While on Maintenance Therapy

The purpose of this study is to determine whether AZD7624 can reduce acute Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations in patients on COPD maintenance therapy with a history of frequent acute exacerbations.


Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Provision of signed and dated written informed consent prior to any study specific procedures.
* Male and females aged 40-85 years. Females must have a negative pregnancy test at Visit 1, must not be lactating and must be of non-childbearing potential. Males must be surgically sterile or agree to use an acceptable method of contraception for the duration of the study and for 3 months after the last dose of investigational product to prevent pregnancy in a partner.
* A weight of ≥50 kg.
* Diagnosis of COPD for more than 1 year at Visit 1, according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2014 guidelines.
* COPD maintenance treatment with at least ICS/LABA for at least 2 months prior to enrolment to be continued unchanged during the study.
* A post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC \<0.70 and a post-bronchodilator FEV1 ≤70% of the predicted normal value. Documented history of 2 or more moderate to severe COPD exacerbations within 12 months of randomisation, but not within the last 6 weeks before randomisation.
* Current or ex-smokers with a smoking history of at least 10 pack-years.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Involvement in the planning and conduct of the study.
* Previous randomisation in the present study.
* Participation in another clinical study with any investigational medicinal product within 3 months of randomisation. Previously intake of any p38 inhibitor.
* Participation in, or scheduled for an intensive COPD rehabilitation programme at any time during the study.
* Planned in-patient surgery or hospitalisation during the study.
* Significant disease or disorder other than COPD which, may either put the patient at risk because of participation in the study, or influence the results of the study, or the patient's ability to participate in the study. Asthma as a primary or main diagnosis according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines (GINA 2013) or other accepted guidelines.
* A clinically relevant abnormal findings in clinical chemistry, haematology and urinalysis.
* Plasma myoglobin and CK above the upper reference range of the analysing laboratory at randomization.
* A clinically relevant abnormal findings in physical examination, pulse or blood pressure.
* A positive result on screening for serum hepatitis B hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
* History or family history of muscle diseases. Abnormal vital signs, defined as Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) above 140 mmHg if \<60 years of age and above 150 mmHg if ≥60 years of age; Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) above 90 mmHg; Pulse \<50 or \>100 bpm.
* Prolonged QTcF \>450 ms or family history of long QT syndrome or sudden death at young age. PR(PQ) interval of clinical significance, PR(PQ) \> 250 ms.
* Intermittent AV block of 2nd and 3rd degree or AV dissociation.
* Patients with a QRS duration \>120 ms.
* Patients with persistent, and/or recurrent symptomatic tachyarrhythmias, as well as patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or a permanent pacemaker.
* Patients with recent Cardiovascular (CV) events or unstable CV disease or a myocardial infarction or stroke within 6 months of screening. History of hospitalization within 12 months caused by heart failure or a diagnosis of heart failure higher than New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II.
* History of severe allergy/hypersensitivity or ongoing clinically important allergy/hypersensitivity or history of hypersensitivity to drugs with a similar chemical structure or class to AZD7624.
* Any exacerbation or respiratory infection within 6 weeks of randomization.
* Plasma donation within one month of Visit 1, or any blood donation/blood loss \>500 mL during the 3 months prior to Visit 1.
* History of, or current alcohol or drug abuse.
* Treatment with any GCS (apart from prescribed steroids at run-in) within 6 weeks of Visit 3 regardless of indication.
* Treatment with strong CYP3A inhibitors within 4 weeks prior to randomisation.