RE: Richard8 Jun 2020 14:33
The asthma issue isn't really that hard to answer. It was explained in the 17 May 2017 RNS, "AstraZeneca progressed the INEXAS trial of AZD9412 (inhaled interferon beta or IFN-beta) through the midway point, but stopped the trial early due to a lower than expected number of exacerbation events across the trial population."
SNG then explain the thinking behind the move to COPD, "We are particularly interested in using inhaled IFN-beta in COPD. Two new publications in 2017 have shown that cold viruses are highly likely to cause exacerbations in COPD, which contrasts with the findings in asthma from the INEXAS trial, where only around 10% of patients exacerbated during cold infections. There is also a greater clinical need in COPD compared to asthma as exacerbations in COPD patients are linked to a rapid and permanent deterioration of disease and death. New technology has recently emerged which will enable us to confirm viral infection prior to commencing treatment, making trial management and interpretation easier. Thus the new data linking viruses to exacerbations, a better understanding of the underlying biology in COPD, the high clinical need, and new diagnostic technology presents us with an attractive opportunity to explore the drug's full potential."
That's it in black and white with no spin on it. AZN handing it back resulted in SNG moving on on their own and they're now coming up on results for both COPD and COVID trials. If the trials show benefit in both applications then AZN (or any licencee) will be paying a lot more at this stage. The risk, as highlighted by SNG in their annual report last week, is that the drug does not work however all of the evidence from other trials that the guys have posted on here would suggest it will offer some benefit.
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