On 1st July 2026, the Alpha-1 Europe Alliance (A1EA) participated in a high-level roundtable on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) at the European Parliament in Brussels, hosted by MEP Nikos Papandreou (S&D, Greece). The event, supported by GSK, brought together policymakers, patient organisations, clinicians and respiratory experts, and industry representatives to discuss how Europe can strengthen prevention, diagnosis and long-term care for people living with COPD.
Frank Willersinn, Board member, and Flaminia Macchia, A1EA Policy advisor, represented the A1EA at the event. The meeting also brought together leading organisations, including ERS (European Respiratory Society), EFA (European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations), and EUFOREA (European Forum for Research and Education in Allergy and Airway Diseases) in a calling for stronger European action to address one of the continent’s most significant yet under-recognised health challenges.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) affects an estimated 40 million people across Europe and remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite its significant impact on individuals, healthcare systems and society, up to 70–90% of cases remain undiagnosed, leaving many people without appropriate treatment and the support they need.
Understanding the link between COPD and AATD
Flaminia Macchia, A1EA Policy advisor, highlighted the strong clinical link between Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1 or AATD) and certain forms of COPD.
Flaminia Macchia presenting the A1EA perspective at the COPD Roundtable.
For the Alpha-1 community, improving COPD care is related to improving outcomes for people living with AATD, the most common genetic cause of COPD. Many people with AATD develop COPD at a younger age or receive their diagnosis only after irreversible lung damage has already occurred. Some individuals also experience severe liver disease, highlighting the need for greater awareness of Alpha-1 across medical specialties.
International clinical guidelines already recommend that every person diagnosed with COPD be tested for Alpha-1 – at least once. As Alpha-1 can be identified through a simple, low-cost blood test measuring serum alpha-1 antitrypsin levels, systematic implementation of routine testing is both feasible and cost-effective.
"The roundtable highlighted the urgent need for a more coordinated European approach to COPD. Integrated, patient-centred care pathways, earlier diagnosis, and stronger prevention strategies are essential to improve outcomes. For the Alpha-1 community, this also means ensuring greater awareness of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency as the most common genetic cause of COPD."
The Alliance therefore calls on policymakers and healthcare professionals to make routine Alpha-1 testing a standard component of COPD care across Europe and to incorporate this recommendation into all national clinical guidelines.
Early diagnosis enables timely intervention, approprate clinical management, genetic counselling, and improved health outcomes, helping people with Alpha-1 live longer, healthier lives.
Towards a European Lung Health Plan
MEP Papandreou and the roundtable participants also reiterated their support for the development of a European Lung Health Plan – a coordinated policy framework that would place lung health higher on the EU agenda while strengthening prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and long-term patient support across Member States.
A1EA welcomes this growing political commitment to respiratory health and remains dedicated to working alongside European institutions, healthcare professionals and patient organisations to ensure that people living with Alpha-1 and other chronic respiratory diseases receive timely diagnosis, equitable access to high-quality care, and the support they need to live healthier lives.
Learn more about the A1EA Advocacy Plan and Call to Action:
