Cotton, SeonaidhDevereux, GrahamAbbas, HassanBriggs, Andrew HCampbell, KarenChaudhuri, RekhaChoudhury, GourabDawson, DanaDe Soyza, AnthonyFielding, ShonaGompertz, SimonHaughney, JohnLang, Chim CLee, AmandaMacLennan, GraemeMacNee, WilliamMcCormack, KirstyMcMeekin, NicolaMills, Nicholas LMorice, AlynNorrie, JohnPetrie, LindaPrice, DavidShort, PhilipVestbo, JørgenWalker, PaulWedzicha, Jadwiga AWilson, AndrewLipworth, Brian J2022-04-182022-04-182022-04-14Cotton, S, Devereux, G, Abbas, H, Briggs, A H, Campbell, K, Chaudhuri, R, Choudhury, G, Dawson, D, De Soyza, A, Fielding, S, Gompertz, S, Haughney, J, Lang, C C, Lee, A, MacLennan, G, MacNee, W, McCormack, K, McMeekin, N, Mills, N L, Morice, A, Norrie, J, Petrie, L, Price, D, Short, P, Vestbo, J, Walker, P, Wedzicha, J A, Wilson, A & Lipworth, B J 2022, 'Use of the oral beta blocker bisoprolol to reduce the rate of exacerbation in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) : a randomised controlled trial. (BICS)', Trials, vol. 23, no. 1, 307. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06226-81745-6215ORCID: /0000-0002-1039-5646/work/111707638ORCID: /0000-0002-4865-9061/work/159078210ORCID: /0000-0003-2815-4469/work/160846737https://hdl.handle.net/2164/18440Acknowledgments We are grateful for the secretarial and data co-ordination support from Janice Cruden. We would like to acknowledge the principal investigators and staff based in trial recruitment sites across the country, the Clinical Research Networks and staff in the Clinical Trials Pharmacy, and the support of the Trial Steering and Data Monitoring Committees. In particular, we have been grateful for the input to the Trial Steering Committee from two lay representatives, Mr Alister Laird and Mr Dave Bertin. Funding {4b} This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research, Health Technology Assessment Programme (project number 15/130/20). The cardiac sub-study is funded by British Heart Foundation (BHF) Project Grant no. PG/17/64/33205. This report presents independent research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The views and opinions expressed by authors in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NHS, the NIHR, MRC, CCF, NETSCC, the Health Technology Assessment programme or the Department of Health.162225289engCOPDexacerbationrandomised controlled trialbisoprolbeta blockerR MedicineNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR)15/130/20British Heart FoundationPG/17/64/33205Supplementary InformationRJournal article10.1186/s13063-022-06226-8231