GlaxoSmithKline reports positive Anoro Ellipta clinical trial data

GlaxoSmithKline has reported the publication of new clinical data showing the safety and efficacy benefits of its drug Anoro Ellipta in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

A third lung function study comparing the effectiveness of the drug to an alternative therapy has been published in the journal Respiratory Medicine, showing the benefits the inhaler-based treatment can offer in terms of improved lung function.

The 24-week multicentre study involved a total of 905 patients and is the latest in a series of clinical trials that have shown the advantages Anoro Ellipta can offer over established treatment options.

Darrell Baker, senior vice-president and head of GlaxoSmithKline's global respiratory franchise, said: "We hope the publication will inform physicians as they consider which treatment option is best to meet their individual patient's needs."

The drug has already been approved in the US and Europe and was developed collaboratively by GlaxoSmithKline and Theravance.

It was ratified by the European Commission earlier this year as a once-daily maintenance bronchodilator treatment to relieve symptoms in adult patients with COPD, based on positive data from eight phase III trials.