Conflict of interest: J.B. Soriano declares having received pharmaceutical company grants from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in 2011 and Chiesi in 2012 via CIMERA, his former home institution, and in 2014 and 2015 from Linde via Hospital Universitario de La Princesa; J.B. Soriano participated in speaking activities, advisory committees and consultancies during the period 2011–2017 sponsored by: Almirall, AstraZeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, CHEST, Chiesi, ERS, GEBRO, Grifols, GSK, Linde, Lipopharma, Mundipharma, Novartis, Pfizer, RiRL, Rovi, Sandoz, SEPAR and Takeda. J.B. Soriano has not received (directly or indirectly) funding from the tobacco industry or its affiliates. P-R. Burgel participated in speaking activities, advisory committees and consultancies during the period 2011–2017 sponsored by: Almirall, Aptalis, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, GSK, Novartis, Pfizer, Vertex and Zambon. P-R. Burgel has never received (directly or indirectly) funding from the tobacco industry or its affiliates.