AstraZeneca gets positive opinion for COPD treatment

AstraZeneca received a thumbs-up from European regulators about its metered-dose inhaler to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The European Medicines Agency's committee for medicinal products for human use, known as CHMP, has recommended AstaZeneca's Bevespi Aerosphere, a combination of glycopyrronium and formoterol fumarate, in a pressurised metered-dose inhaler for use as a maintenance bronchodilator treatment for adult patients with COPD.

Bevespi Aerosphere is approved in the US, Canada and Australia as a dual bronchodilator for the long-term maintenance treatment of COPD.

The positive opinion followed the FTSE 100 company's Phase III Pinnacle programme of 5,000 patients with the condition.

Dr Colin Reisner, Astra's head of respiratory medicine development, said the treatment was the only fixed-dose long-acting muscarinic antagonist/long-acting beta2-agonist that is delivered in a pressurised metered-dose inhaler.

"Today's positive CHMP opinion means COPD patients in Europe are one step closer to having this new dual bronchodilator treatment available to them," he said.

Deutsche Bank analysts have recently forecast revenues from the treatment of $250m in 2019, rising to $480m by 2022.