AstraZeneca PLC on Friday said it received positive results from a trial of Tezspire as a treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.
Chronic rhinosinusitis is a disorder characterised by the persistent inflammation of nasal mucosa, the moist lining of the nose, and benign growths called nasal polyps, which can block nasal passages and lead to issues such as breathing problems, difficulty smelling, nasal discharge, facial pain and sleep disturbance.
The Cambridge, England-based pharmaceutical company said Tezspire, or tezepelumab, had demonstrated a statistically significant and ‘clinically meaningful’ reduction in the size of nasal polyps and reduced nasal congestion when compared to a placebo.
The phase 3 Waypoint trial was a randomised, double-blind trial with symptomatic patients that evaluated the efficacy and safety of Tezspire.
‘Patients diagnosed with nasal polyps continue to experience significant burden including repeat surgeries and frequent treatment with high doses of oral corticosteroids, which are associated with serious systemic side effects. The tezepelumab data is clinically meaningful and offers patients with nasal polyps hope for a potential new treatment option that may reduce the burden on patients and healthcare systems,’ said Brian Lipworth, professor of allergy & pulmonology at institutions including the Scottish Centre for Respiratory Research, and the co-primary investigator in the trial.
Sharon Barr, executive vice president of AstraZeneca’s Biopharmaceuticals Research & Development division, said: ‘We are excited by the positive results from the Phase III Waypoint trial, which show that patients with nasal polyps strongly benefitted from treatment with tezepelumab. These results reinforce that tezepelumab’s first-in-class mode of action, targeting [thymic stromal lymphopoietin] at the top of the inflammatory cascade, effectively addresses the multiple drivers of epithelial-driven inflammatory diseases.’
Shares in AstraZeneca were up 1.9% at 9,909.00 pence each in London on Friday morning.
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