AstraZeneca asthma drug 'well tolerated' in trials

AstraZeneca said Tuesday its potential new asthma treatment benralizumab had shown positive results in a phase III trial.

In a statement, the company said benralizumab had been “was well tolerated and achieved the primary endpoint in two pivotal Phase III registrational trials demonstrating significant reductions in the annual asthma exacerbation rate compared to placebo".

The trials evaluated the efficacy and safety of two dose regimens of benralizumab as an add-on therapy for severe uncontrolled asthma with eosinophilic inflammation in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older.