Two large phase 3 trials found that adding tozorakimab to existing inhaled treatment reduced flare-ups in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease more effectively than a dummy drug.
The New England Journal of Medicine has reported results from two replicate phase 3 trials — named OBERON and TITANIA — showing that tozorakimab, used alongside standard inhaled maintenance therapy, produced a lower rate of moderate or severe flare-ups (exacerbations) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared with placebo. The findings were presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress.
COPD is a long-term lung condition that makes breathing progressively harder, affecting millions of people across the UK. Flare-ups — sudden worsening of symptoms — are a leading cause of hospital admissions and can seriously reduce quality of life.
Tozorakimab is an add-on treatment, meaning it would be used on top of the inhaled medicines patients already take, not as a replacement. The trials were replicated — run twice under the same conditions — which strengthens the reliability of the findings, according to the journal.
The research is at trial stage. It has not yet been approved for use on the NHS, and patients should not adjust their current treatment.
If you have COPD and are concerned about your symptoms or current medication, contact your GP or call NHS 111. In a breathing emergency, call 999.
Source: @NEJM
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