AstraZeneca's Bevespi Aerosphere approved by US FDA

AstraZeneca said announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved its Bevespi Aerosphere inhalation aerosol for treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Bevespi Aerosphere or glycopyrrolate and formoterol fumarate is used for the long-term, maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema.

COPD is a progressive disease associated mainly with tobacco smoking, air pollution or occupational exposure, which can cause obstruction of airflow in the lungs resulting in debilitating bouts of breathlessness, AstraZeneca said.

It affects an estimated 329m people worldwide and is predicted to be the third leading cause of death by 2030.

“Improving lung function and managing daily symptoms such as breathlessness are important to the management of COPD. It is estimated that eight out of 10 patients suffer symptoms at night, such as an irritative cough and difficulty breathing, frequent nocturnal awakenings, which leads to insomnia, worry and anxiety.”