After flunking one study, Amgen’s tezepelumab shows promise for asthma

Amgen and AstraZeneca have announced that the experimental monoclonal antibody tezepelumab demonstrated a clinically meaningful reduction in annualized asthma exacerbation rate (AAER) in severe, uncontrolled asthma patients. In the NAVIGATOR Phase 3 trial, the drug led to a 56% reduction in AAER over 52 weeks when used as part of the standard of care. 

The two companies recently presented a poster related to the NAVIGATOR study at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology annual meeting with an investor call following. 

Physicians in the investor call were upbeat about the use of tezepelumab as a first-line therapy and patients with low levels of eosinophil, a type of white blood cell. 

UBS analysts have estimated that peak sales of the drug would be $1.6 billion. 

Results from the NAVIGATOR study were published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 

In December, Amgen and AstraZeneca announced a setback with the…

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