Novartis reports positive data from comparative Ultibro Breezhaler study

Novartis has announced positive first results from a phase III clinical trial showing the advantages of Ultibro Breezhaler, its new chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) drug.

Data from the FLAME head-to-head trial demonstrated once-daily Ultibro Breezhaler's superiority to an established twice-daily alternative in reducing the rate of all COPD exacerbations over one year of treatment.

It means the drug was able to meet its primary efficacy endpoint in the trial, with the findings highlighted as being consistent with the earlier LANTERN trial.

The FLAME trial involved 3,362 COPD patients and was conducted at 356 sites across 43 countries.

Vasant Narasimhan, global head of development at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, said: "We believe FLAME challenges our historical reliance on inhaled corticosteroids and may support expanding the use of dual bronchodilators to both exacerbating and non-exacerbating COPD patients."

This comes after the firm announced positive data demonstrating the efficacy of Cosentyx in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis earlier this month.