LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Anoro, a combination drug forchronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) developed byGlaxoSmithKline and Theravance, has receivedthe green light from European regulators, the companies said onThursday.
The drug is a combination of UMEC, a long-acting muscarinicantagonist, and VI, a long-acting beta agonist, in a singleinhaler. It is expected to generate sales of more than $2billion a year by 2018, according to the average estimate of sixanalysts polled by Thomson Reuters.
Recommendations for marketing approval from the EuropeanMedicines Agency are usually followed by the granting of fullmarketing authorisation by the European Commission.
The companies said they expected that decision during thesecond quarter of 2014.
The drug, in a different strength formulation, was approvedby regulators in the United States and Canada in December 2013.