March 27 (Reuters) – AstraZeneca said on Friday its experimental respiratory treatment tozorakimab showed a meaningful reduction in flare ups of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in two key late-stage trials, paving the way for a possible new therapy.
The treatment met the main goal in the two clinical studies, and reduced the annualised rate of moderate-to-severe COPD flare-ups versus placebo in the primary group of former smokers and in the overall study population, the drugmaker said.
The studies included current and former smokers with varying levels of lung damage and white blood cell counts, AstraZeneca added.
COPD is a chronic condition which causes restricted airflow and breathing problems. While tobacco smoke is a major trigger, fume inhalation, chemicals and dust in many working environments can also cause onset.
Tozorakimab belongs to a class of treatments called monoclonal antibodies, and works by replicating the body’s defences and suppressing the action of interleukin-33, a protein involved in inflammation.
AstraZeneca said its drug offers the potential to reduce inflammation and disrupt the cycle of mucus dysfunction that can worsen a patient’s COPD. The disease is the fourth-leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
Detailed data from the two studies will be presented at an upcoming medical conference, AstraZeneca said.
The update comes after AstraZeneca said in September that its asthma drug Fasenra failed to reduce exacerbation rates in COPD patients in a separate late-stage study.
(Reporting by Nithyashree R B and Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
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