UK pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZ; NASDAQ: AZN) has presented results from a Phase III trial that previously announced the non-inferiority of its IL-5 antagonist Fasenra (benralizumab) against GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK; NYSE: GSK) Nucala (mepolizumab), the current standard of care for relapsing or refractory eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). The data revealed that at weeks 36 and 48, Fasenra achieved an adjusted remission rate of 59%, which is on par with Nucala’s 56%.
Moreover, Fasenra demonstrated greater efficacy in reducing EGPA patients’ reliance on oral corticosteroids. The rate of patients who halved their corticosteroid doses was 86% for Fasenra users and 74% for Nucala users. Furthermore, the rates of patients who were able to discontinue steroid therapy entirely were 41% and 26% for Fasenra and Nucala, respectively.
Fasenra is administered as a single subcutaneous injection monthly, contrasting with Nucala’s regimen of three injections per month. Fasenra is currently approved as an add-on maintenance treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) in 80 markets.- Flcube.com
