LONDON (Alliance News) - GlaxoSmithKline PLC said Monday that data from two Phase III studies of its asthma treatment mepolizumab was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress.
Both studies met their primary endpoints, with patients receiving mepolizumab achieving a "statistically significant" reduction in the frequency of clinically significant asthma exacerbations compared to a placebo, and a "statistically significant" reduction of daily oral corticosteroid does during weeks 20-24 of the trial.
Treatment with mepolizumab also allowed patients in the studies to experience improved quality of life and asthma control.
Mepolizumab is not currently approved anywhere in the world. Glaxo is progressing towards global filings for the treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma by the end of 2014, it said.
Also on Monday the company presented data at the congress that show blood eosinophil levels could help predict which patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will have a greater reduction in exacerbation rates when being treated with an inhaled corticosteroid regimen.
The data, if supported by further studies, could potentially be used to help physicians tailor their treatment decisions, Glaxo said.
Shares in Glaxo were trading down 2.0% at 1,418.43 pence Monday afternoon.
By Hana Stewart-Smith; hanassmith@alliancenews.com; @HanaSSAllNews
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