The American Academy of Chest Physicians (CHEST) recently wrapped up its 2025 annual conference in Chicago, Illinois. The CHEST Annual Meeting 2025 ran from October 19 through October 22. The four-day conference was packed with networking opportunities, research presentations, and educational sessions that featured the latest in pulmonary care from global leaders.

With hundreds of research presentations at the CHEST Annual Meeting 2025, we are taking a look at some of the presented research focusing on bronchiectasis. The following research presentations, along with associated descriptions and conclusions, represent just a sampling of the many educational insights presented at the annual conference. Please note, the linked PDF is more than seven-thousand pages long and may require a fast internet connection to load effectively.

CHEST 2025 Bronchiectasis Research Highlights

Effects Of Brensocatib On Neutrophil Serine Protease Levels In Patients With Noncystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis: An Analysis Of The Aspen Trial

  • Description: This study reported on pharmacodynamic substudy data on the effect of brensocatib versus placebo on sputum neutrophil serine proteases (NSPs) concentrations over the 52-week treatment and four-week follow-up periods in adult patients from ASPEN.
  • Conclusion: Pharmacodynamic analyses showed that, consistent with the phase 2 WILLOW trial, brensocatib treatment generally resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of NSP activity within 4 weeks. NSP activity was stably suppressed throughout the treatment period and increased toward baseline after 4 weeks off-treatment. Furthermore, brensocatib 25mg showed a more pronounced reduction of sputum NSP activity than the 10mg dose.

The Effect Of Brensocatib Vs Placebo On Symptom Burden In Patients With Or Without On-Study Pulmonary Exacerbations: A Posthoc Analysis From The Aspen Trial

  • Description: This study reported on the effect of brensocatib versus placebo on patient- reported symptoms using the Bronchiectasis Exacerbation and Symptom Tool (BEST) in adults with vs without on-study pulmonary exacerbations.
  • Conclusion: Brensocatib 10mg and 25mg reduced symptom burden, regardless of pulmonary exacerbations occurrence; the reductions were greatest in patients on 25mg and those without on-study pulmonary exacerbations. Both brensocatib doses also reduced the symptom burden versus placebo during severe pulmonary exacerbation events.

Changes In Symptom Burden During Pulmonary Exacerbations In Placebo-Treated Patients With Noncystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis: A Posthoc Analysis From The Aspen Trial

  • Description: To better understand the impact of pulmonary exacerbations on bronchiectasis-related symptom burden, researchers characterized the change in patient-reported symptoms using the Bronchiectasis Exacerbation and Symptom Tool (BEST) during pulmonary exacerbations in placebo-treated adult patients from ASPEN.
  • Conclusion: Overall BEST and individual symptom diary scores were increased before and after onset of a pulmonary exacerbations, regardless of severity; however, patients with severe PEx experienced a greater symptom burden and longer duration of pulmonary exacerbation-related symptoms. Higher symptom burden during severe pulmonary exacerbations was driven by breathlessness, fatigue, cough, and cold/flu symptoms.

Impact of Bronchiectasis on Pneumonia Outcomes Among Hospitalized Patients in the United States

  • Description: This study aimed to assess the disease-specific outcomes in adult patients with bronchiectasis hospitalized for pneumonia.
  • Conclusion: Bronchiectasis patients admitted for pneumonia experienced higher rates of non-invasive mechanical ventilation, longer hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs. These findings emphasize the importance of prevention and treatment strategies aimed at reducing the risk of pneumonia in this population.

Evaluating Difference in Outcomes Between Males and Females with Cystic Fibrosis Admitted for Acute Exacerbation of Bronchiectasis

  • Description: This study evaluated the differences between males and females with CF who were admitted following acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis.
  • Conclusion: Researchers found that males exhibit a higher risk of developing sepsis and acute respiratory failure and have a higher mortality rate than female patients. Our results suggest that male CF patients may require closer monitoring and more careful hospital management. Further research should be encouraged.

Effect of Lung Flute Device VS Autogenic Drainage in Bronchiectasis Patients: A Comparative Study

  • Description: This study compared the Lung Flute Device (LFD), a cost-effective oscillatory positive expiratory pressure (OPEP) tool (cheaper than Flutter®/Acapella®/Aerobika®), with Autogenic Drainage (AD) in improving lung function, dyspnea, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients.
  • Conclusion: The Lung Flute Device demonstrated superior efficacy compared to Autogenic Drainage in enhancing lung function, reducing dyspnea severity, and improving quality of life in bronchiectasis patients. The LFD’s acoustic mechanism may explain its advantages over AD, which relies on patient-controlled breathing patterns. These findings underscore the potential of LFD as a first-line ACT in bronchiectasis management, particularly for patients with limited adherence to traditional techniques.

Determining the Effect of COVID-19 Infection on Exacerbations of Bronchiectasis: A Nationwide Analysis

  • Description: The effect of COVID-19 infection on the exacerbations of bronchiectasis has been contradictory, with some studies reporting that COVID-19 infection did not result in severe exacerbation of bronchiectasis, whereas other studies showed that COVID-19 infection resulted in severe exacerbation of bronchiectasis. This National Inpatient Sample (NIS) study aimed to determine the effect of COVID-19 infection on the exacerbations of bronchiectasis.
  • Conclusion: Our NIS analysis suggests that COVID-19 infection was a major risk factor for severe exacerbation of bronchiectasis. Patients with exacerbation of bronchiectasis from COVID-19 infection had longer lengths of stay, higher need for invasive ventilation, and higher mortality rate than those without COVID-19 infection.

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