(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC and Amgen Inc on Friday said positive full results from the Navigator phase III trial of tezepelumab showed a reduction in the annualised asthma exacerbation rate in severe, uncontrolled asthma patients.
Tezepelumab blocks the action of thymic stromal lymphopoietin, an epithelial cytokine that plays a key role across the spectrum of asthma inflammation.
The Cambridge, England-based biopharmaceutical company also said tezepelumab demonstrated statistically significant improvements in every key secondary endpoint compared to placebo.
"These are ground-breaking results for the many patients with severe asthma who continue to face debilitating symptoms despite receiving standard of care inhaled medicines and currently approved biologics," said Andrew Menzies-Gow, director of the Lung Division, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, and principal investigator of the Navigator phase III trial.
"Tezepelumab has the potential to transform treatment for a broad population of patients with severe asthma regardless of their type of inflammation, including those with and without an eosinophilic phenotype," added Menzies-Gow.
Astra shares were trading 0.3% lower in London on Friday afternoon at 6,989.00 pence each. Amgen was up 0.6% to USD228.89 in the New York pre-market.
By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com
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