Strong showing for AZ asthma drug, but diabetes treatment flops

pharmafile | May 23, 2017 | News story | Manufacturing and Production, Research and Development |  AstraZeneca, asthma, diabetes 

AstraZeneca has been mulling over mixed news this week after both its severe asthma treatment and diabetes therapy saw varying levels of success in recent clinical studies.

Following a 28-week Phase 3 trial, the company’s oral asthma therapy benralizumab proved its efficacy by showing a 70% reduction in the rate of serious asthma attacks among those using the drug; it also produced a 75% median reduction in oral steroid use and users were over four times as likely to cut steroids compared to those on placebo. Oral steroids can cause a range of side-effects, including mood swings and weight gain. The company’s respiratory, inflammation and autoimmune head Tome Keith-Roach praised the impact the drug would have on patients suffering from the most severe forms of the disease.

“There are around 2 million severe uncontrolled asthmatics worldwide in our top 12 markets and I certainly think based on this profile we would expect to have a really competitive share of that market,” he said.

Benralizumab is the third therapy to enter the market and will face off against GlaxoSmithKline’s Nucala and Teva’s Cinqair. It is expected to receive approval from the FDA in the fourth quarter of this year.

But compared to the asthma treatment’s strong showing, the company’s injectable diabetes treatment Bydureon (exenatide extended-release for injectable suspension) was not so successful, failing to demonstrate any significant ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, though it did not raise heart dangers. It is expected that, by 2023, Bydureon will achieve $854 million in sales, while benralizumab will hit $915 million.

Matt Fellows