AstraZeneca says that Duaklir Genuair, from the Almirall respiratory portfolio it recently purchased, has been given the green light from regulators in Europe for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Duaklir is a fixed-dose combination of the already-approved already-approved Eklira (aclidinium), a long-acting muscarinic-antagonist, with the long-acting beta-agonist formoterol. The twice-daily therapy is administered by the Genuair dry powder inhaler, and AstraZeneca claims it is the only LAMA/LABA combo to show statistically significant improvement in breathlessness compared to individual drugs.
Respiratory is a key area for AstraZeneca, which already markets the blockbuster Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol) for COPD and asthma, and it has high hopes in these two diseases for its investigational compound benralizumab. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker completed its $2.1 billion acquisition of Almirall’s respiratory portfolio earlier this month.
