April 20 (Reuters) – AstraZeneca said on Monday its experimental treatment tozorakimab showed a “meaningful reduction” in moderate-to-severe flare-ups of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a late-stage trial, building on positive data from last month.
The drug met the main goal in the “MIRANDA” study, delivering a “statistically significant and clinically meaningful” reduction in the annualised rate of moderate-to-severe COPD exacerbations in both current and past smokers.
Patients who continued to experience moderate‑to‑severe exacerbations despite inhaled standard of care received either 300 mg of tozorakimab or a placebo every two weeks on top of standard treatment during the trial.
The fresh data adds to investor hopes of potential for the therapy after tozorakimab met the end goals of two other late stage trials in March, in which it had also reduced COPD flare-ups.
(Reporting by Prerna Bedi in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
