AstraZeneca's asthma drug Tezspire succeeds in late-stage esophagitis trial

The drug belongs to a class of targeted treatments known as monoclonal antibodies. It works by blocking a protein called TSLP, which can trigger inflammation linked to eosinophilic conditions as well as severe asthma.

Tezspire is already approved as a single-use pre-filled syringe in the United States, EU and other countries as an add-on treatment for severe asthma.

Aug. 27 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca said on Thursday its asthma drug, Tezspire, developed with Amgen, met its main and secondary goals in a late-stage trial for treating eosinophilic esophagitis, a chronic inflammatory disorder of the esophagus.

The study showed Tezspire, when compared with a placebo, significantly reduced inflammation in the esophagus and also eased the frequency and difficulty in swallowing for patients.