LONDON (Alliance News) - Verona Pharma PLC Friday said a study of its RPL554 drug had shown it to be effective, and well tolerated by healthy subjects, allergic asthmatics and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The developer of respiratory disease treatments said the drug showed a rapid and sustained bronchodilator activity at least as effective as the benchmark therapy salbutamol across a range of
doses, along with a highly significant anti-inflammatory activity.
"Verona Pharma is initially pursuing development of the drug in a nebulized format suitable for the treatment of severe COPD patients, a significant unmet medical need with few novel approaches in clinical development," the company said in a statement.
"RPL554 is also suitable for incorporation into dry powder inhaler and pressurised metered dose inhaler devices, likely to be part of long-term development plans for the agent," it added.
The full results of the study have been published in The Lancet.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(13)70187-5/abstract
By Steve McGrath; stevemcgrath@alliancenews.com; @SteveMcGrath1
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