A new asthma drug being developed by Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals may help patients whose condition is not well controlled by existing medicines, according to the results of a small clinical trial released Tuesday.
In the 12-week study, the number of asthma attacks or other outbreaks of symptoms decreased by 87 percent in those getting the drug, dupilumab, compared with those getting a placebo.
Other measures of lung function and disease control also improved, according to the study results, which were published online Tuesday in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society in Philadelphia.
Dupilumab blocks the action of interleukin-4 and interleukin-13, two inflammatory chemicals made by the body that are believed to contribute to asthma. Sanofi and Regeneron say there are also preliminary signs dupilumab works against the skin condition atopic dermatitis, suggesting it can be blocking a biological pathway that contributes to multiple allergic conditions.
Still, much larger studies, taking at least two or three years, are likely to be needed before…
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