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Dec 6 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline and Theravance Inc said on Friday that their combination therapy met themain goal of improving lung function in asthma patients in alate-stage trial.
The therapy consists of the corticosteroid, fluticasonefuroate, which reduces inflammation, and a long-actingbeta-agonist, called vilanterol, which is designed to open theairways.
The drug, already approved in the U.S. to treat chronicobstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) under the brand name Breo,proved more effective than fluticasone furoate alone forpatients with moderate to severe asthma at the end of a 12-weektreatment period.
The drug is inhaled through a palm-sized device calledEllipta. It is approved for both COPD and asthma in Europe,where it is sold as Relvar.
The most common side effects reported in the treatmentperiod included headache, upper respiratory tract infection andinfluenza.
The drug is one of two new medicines GSK is relying on toreinvigorate its respiratory business as the company's $8billion-a-year blockbuster Advair faces the threat of genericcompetition in the years ahead.
