Glaxo gets good results from shingles and asthma treatments; heart drug disappoints

GlaxoSmithKline has received positive results from studies on its asthma treatment, Advair Diskus and Shingrix, its treatment for shingles, but the results of a study on its losmapimod drug for heart treatment were disappointing.

The pharmaceuticals giant said its LABA safety study on Advair Diskus, which uses a combination of fluticasone propionate and salmeterol, showed a safety level equivalent to fluticasone propionate monotherapy in treating adolescent and adult patients with asthma.

Glaxo also said on Tuesday that its candidate shingles vaccine, Shingrix, demonstrated 90% efficacy against shingles in people 70 years of age and over, hitting its primary objective.

On the downside, though, a review of data from a phase III trial of the company’s experimental heart drug losmapimod did not indicate efficacy against its primary endpoint and did not support investment in the larger part B of the study.

At 1129 GMT, Glaxo shares were down 0.1% at 1,368p.