Association of endopeptidases, involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection, with microbial aggravation in sputum of severe asthma

Note: Funding Information: We would like to thank all the patients who gave written and signed consent to take part in the U‐BIOPRED study. The study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT01976767). IMA is supported by the EPSRC (EP/T003189/1), the UK MRC (MR/T010371/1) and by the Wellcome Trust (208340/Z/17/Z). Funding Information: SED reports personal fees from AZ, Cayman Chemicals, GSK, Merck, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi, Teva, outside the submitted work. RD reports receiving fees for lectures at symposia organized by Novartis, AstraZeneca and TEVA, consultation for TEVA and Novartis as member of advisory boards, and participation in a scientific discussion about asthma organized by GlaxoSmithKline. RD is a co‐founder and current consultant, and has shares in Synairgen, a University of Southampton spin out company. PJS reports grants from Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) covered by the European Union and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical industries and Associations (EFPIA), during the conduct of the study. AHM has received research grants outside the submitted work from GSK, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Vertex, and she is the PI of a P4O2 (Precision Medicine for more Oxygen) public‐private partnership sponsored by Health Holland involving many private partners that contribute in cash and/or in kind (Boehringer Ingelheim, Breathomix, Fluidda, Ortec Logiqcare, Philips, Quantib‐U, Smartfish, SODAQ, Thirona, TopMD, and Novartis), and she has served in advisory boards for AstraZeneca, GSK, and Boehringer Ingelheim with money paid to her institution. KFC has received honoraria for participating in Advisory Board meetings of GSK, AZ, Roche, Novartis, Merck, BI, and Shionogi regarding treatments for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic cough and has also been remunerated for speaking engagements. All other co‐authors have nothing to disclose.