27th Mar 2026 08:26
(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC on Friday reported positive phase-three trial results for its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment tozorakimab.
The Cambridge, England-based pharmaceutical firm said the drug showed "significant and highly clinically meaningful reductions in COPD exacerbations" in two replicate trials, dubbed Oberon and Titania.
Tozorakimab is a monoclonal antibody which targets interleukin-33, aiming to inhibit the signalling of reduced and oxidised forms of IL-33. This means it has "the potential to both reduce inflammation and disrupt the cycle of mucus dysfunction that contribute to COPD worsening," according to AstraZeneca.
Every four weeks, study participants were dosed with 300 milligrams of the drug. The study population was made up of patients still reporting symptom exacerbations while on inhaled standard of care, which AstraZeneca said is the case for more than 50% of COPD patients, "putting them at an increased risk of cardiopulmonary events and mortality".
Former smokers made up the primary population, though the trial also included current smokers, patients across all blood eosinophil counts and patients with different stages of lung function severity, AstraZeneca noted.
Sharon Barr, the firm's executive vice president of BioPharmaceuticals R&D, hailed "the first two confirmatory [phase-three] trials for an IL-33 biologic, which is a major scientific advancement in COPD, the world’s third leading cause of death."
Barr continued: "Tozorakimab works in a fundamentally different way from other biologics, inhibiting the signalling of the reduced and oxidised forms of IL-33 to both decrease inflammation and disrupt the cycle of mucus dysfunction that are key disease drivers in COPD."
Full results from AstraZeneca's Oberon and Titania trials will be shared at an upcoming medical conference, while further COPD phase-three trials, dubbed Prospero and Miranda, are ongoing. The company is also progressing a phase-three study of tozorakimab to treat severe viral lower respiratory tract disease, and a phase-two study in asthma.
The positive tozorakimab results follow an encouraging phase-three trial of AstraZeneca's asthma treatment breztri aerosphere, which was linked to "improved lung function", the drug maker said in February.
AstraZeneca shares were up 3.4% to 14,300.00 pence on Friday morning in London, outperforming the wider FTSE 100 index, which was marginally lower.
By Holly Munks, Alliance News reporter
Comments and questions to [email protected]
Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Related Shares:
Astrazeneca