GlaxoSmithKline to progress asthma treatment to phase III trials

GlaxoSmithKline has announced plans to progress the development of its asthma treatment mepolizumab based on the success of the clinical programme to date.

The company has stated its ambition of moving the compound into final phase III development before the end of the year, following on from the positive conclusion of phase II testing.

Results from these earlier-stage trials revealed that mepolizumab is able to deliver significant benefits for patients affected by a rare form of the condition in which white blood cells called eosinophils cause lung airways to become inflamed.

By reducing the number of eosinophils moving into the lungs, the injection-based therapy was able to cut the number of attacks suffered by patients by nearly half.

A spokesman for the company said: "Mepolizumab is one of a number of medicines in GlaxoSmithKline's respiratory pipeline and highlights our commitment to develop a broad respiratory portfolio which meets the needs of different patient populations."

Earlier this month, the company announced that its clinically-proven product Votrient has been granted European regulatory approval for the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma.