AstraZeneca-Amgen drug could widen treatment options for severe asthma

FILE PHOTO: The AstraZeneca logo is pictured outside the AstraZeneca office building in Brussels as part of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination campaign, Belgium, January 28, 2021. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

(Reuters) - AstraZeneca and Amgen's experimental drug reduced asthma attacks in patients with severe and uncontrolled forms of the respiratory condition in a large study, showing promise for wider use against different triggers.

The medicine, tezepelumab, cut the rate of asthma attacks by 56% among patients when compared to placebo in a year-long late-stage study, which had roughly 1,000 patients who were already receiving standard care, the drugmakers said on Friday.