(Bloomberg) -- GSK Plc’s blockbuster asthma drug showed positive results when used as a treatment for another chronic lung condition, potentially opening up a new avenue of growth for the medicine.
The UK drug company said an advanced trial of Nucala in some adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the rate of moderate and severe flare ups versus the placebo. Patients were treated for as long as two years.
COPD is a life-threatening inflammatory respiratory disease that causes obstructed airflow and affects more than 300 million people globally. Recurrent exacerbations — or flare ups where there is a sudden worsening of symptoms — can damage the lungs and require hospitalization. This can result in a vicious cycle of deterioration in overall physical health, a worsening of symptoms, diminished quality of life and increased mortality, GSK said.
GSK shares were little changed in early London trading, and have risen 19% in the past year.
Until recently, there had been no new treatment approaches for this disease for more than a decade. French company Sanofi’s Dupixent was recently cleared in Europe as an add-on treatment for some patients suffering with COPD.
Nucala was first approved in 2015 in the US for severe asthma and is already a top-performing drug for the company, with £1.7 billion ($2.24 billion) in sales last year.
GSK said the trial of 806 people used Nucala, a monoclonal antibody, in addition to inhaled maintenance therapy. The drugmaker released headline data from the study, and full results will be published at a later date.
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