AstraZeneca reports successful results for lung disease drug trial

AstraZeneca has reported successful results following a phase III trial of a new drug it has developed to help treat patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a debilitating lung condition.

The drug failed to give the pharmaceutical firm the results it wanted during a late-stage trial last year, so this its newfound success is good news for the company.

AstraZeneca carried out two 24-week studies that were designed to test the effectiveness of PT003 in improving lung function in individuals diagnosed with COPD.

PT003 is intended to be taken twice a day and contains glycopyrronium, which is a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), as well as formoterol fumarate, a long-acting beta-2 agonist (LABA).

The trials showed the drug to be particularly effective when taken alongside a pressurised meter-dose inhaler, rather than a dry-powder inhaler.

Briggs Morrison, executive vice-president of global medicines development and chief medical officer at AstraZeneca, commented: "These results are also encouraging for the development of our investigative triple-drug combination of LAMA/LABA and inhaled corticosteroids."