AstraZeneca announces positive results from benralizumab Phase III programme in severe asthma

Benralizumab first AstraZeneca respiratory biologic to complete Phase III.

Sean Bohen, Executive Vice President, Global Medicines Development and Chief Medical Officer, said: “Severe asthma affects the health and quality of life of millions of people around the world, and exacerbations can be life threatening for these patients. We are pleased with the top-line results from these pivotal trials as they demonstrate the potential for benralizumab to improve outcomes for patients with severe asthma. Benralizumab is AstraZeneca’s first respiratory biologic and its development underscores our commitment to transform the treatment of asthma and chronic respiratory disease with our next generation of respiratory medicines.”

The trials evaluated the efficacy and safety of two dose regimens of benralizumab as an add-on therapy for severe uncontrolled asthma with eosinophilic inflammation in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older.

In SIROCCO and CALIMA, the primary analysis population included patients on high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) plus long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) with a baseline blood eosinophil count ≥ 300 cells/microliter. Patients were randomised to receive benralizumab 30 mg every 4 weeks; 30 mg every 4 weeks for the first three doses followed by 30 mg every 8 weeks; or placebo. The safety and tolerability findings for benralizumab were generally consistent with those reported in previous trials.

Mark FitzGerald, director of the Centre for Heart and Lung Health at the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and Principal Investigator in the CALIMA trial, said: “We are learning more about different sub-types of asthma, and these trials investigate a potential new treatment to address the underlying driver for some patients. Within the appropriate patient population, the anti-eosinophil effect of benralizumab has the potential to deliver uniquely-targeted treatment for patients whose asthma is driven by eosinophilic inflammation.”

Eosinophils are the biological effector cells that drive inflammation and airways hyper-responsiveness in approximately 50% of asthma patients, leading to frequent exacerbations, impaired lung function and reduced quality of life. Benralizumab is an anti-eosinophil monoclonal antibody that depletes eosinophils via antibody‐dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), the process by which natural killer cells are activated to target eosinophils. Benralizumab induces direct, rapid, and near complete depletion of eosinophils in the bone marrow, blood and target tissue. Benralizumab was developed by MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s global biologics research and development arm.

Results from the SIROCCO and CALIMA trials will be presented at a future medical meeting. Regulatory submissions in the US and EU are anticipated in the second half of 2016.