Aspiro Co-founders Leading $3.8M NIH Study on Early Detection of COPD

Tucson, Arizona / August 18, 2025 —Aspiro Therapeutics is proud to share that two of our co-founders, Dr. Stefano Guerra and Dr. Julie Ledford, are contributing to a newly awarded $3.8 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) focused on CC16 and its role in early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

This research effort, based at the University of Arizona, will explore how deficiencies in club cell secretory protein 16 (CC16) contribute to lung function decline before COPD is clinically diagnosed. Dr. Guerra is serving as principal investigator, with Dr. Ledford as co-investigator, bringing together complementary expertise in respiratory biology and clinical science.

CC16 plays a central role in Aspiro’s therapeutic approach. We are developing an inhaled peptidomimetic therapy designed to mimic the protective effects of CC16 and offer a disease-modifying treatment for asthma and COPD. This NIH-funded research adds further validation to the importance of CC16 in respiratory health.

Read the University of Arizona announcement