AstraZenecaShares rose more than 3% after Britain's most valuable company said its experimental drug for lung diseases met its target in two late-stage clinical trials.
The respiratory treatment tozorakimab reduced flares of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in both former smokers and the general population compared to placebo, the company said.
“This marks a notable change in sentiment, given the limited conviction in the IL-33 mechanism following previous IL-33 failures of sanafi and Roche“said Jefferies analysts.
Tozorakimab and its rivals belong to a class of treatments called monoclonal antibodies. They work by suppressing the action of the protein interleukin-33 (IL-33) and can reduce inflammation.
“Today's results with tozorakimab mark the first two confirmatory Phase III trials for an IL-33 biologic, which represents an important scientific advance in COPD, the third leading cause of death in the world,” said Sharon Barr, executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals and R&D at AstraZeneca.
“Tozorakimab works in a fundamentally different way than other biologics, inhibiting the signaling of reduced and oxidized forms of IL-33 to decrease inflammation and interrupt the cycle of mucosal dysfunction that are key disease drivers in COPD,” Barr said.
Full results will be released at an upcoming medical meeting, AstraZeneca said.
In July, Swiss drugmaker Roche reported mixed results for its COPD drug astegolimab, which ultimately failed to reduce flares in a Phase 3 study. Like tozorakimab, it is designed to stop the binding of IL-33.
Two months earlier, France's Sanofi had reported similarly mixed results with its drug itepekimab, which it is developing together with Regeneron.
AstraZeneca shares listed in London ended the session up 3.4%, in contrast to those in the United Kingdom. FTSE 100 index that closed just below the flat line. Astra's Friday update also boosted Roche and Sanofi shares by about 1% each.
Billionaire potential
Nearly 400 million people are diagnosed with COPD and it is a leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
It is a progressive respiratory condition that manifests itself as difficulty breathing, chronic cough, and excessive mucus production. Symptoms can worsen over time and contribute to ongoing inflammation and bronchoconstriction, making it difficult to breathe and increasing the risk of COPD exacerbations.
AstraZeneca has forecast peak annual sales of tozorakimab of between $3 billion and $5 billion, while estimates on average put peak sales at around $1 billion ahead of Friday's trial results, according to FactSet.
The trial results showed a benefit for both former and current smokers, at all levels of lung function.
It also indicated a benefit for patients with a low number of a type of white blood cell called eosinophils, which is a key unmet need for about 35% of patients, Citi analysts noted.
Tozorakimab is also being studied in a Phase 3 trial for severe viral lower respiratory tract diseases and in a Phase 2 trial for asthma.
Astra plans to launch more than 20 new drugs over the next five years and has set a target of $80 billion in annual sales by 2030.
