(Bloomberg) -- An experimental drug from GSK Plc reduced asthma attacks in late-stage trials, paving the way for a treatment that the British drugmaker thinks could exceed £3 billion ($3.8 billion) in sales.
The drug, depemokimab, showed clinically meaningful reductions in severe asthma exacerbations over 52 weeks in patients with eosinophilic asthma, according to a statement Tuesday. That form of asthma is caused by high levels of white blood cells called eosinophils in the lungs’ airways.
The drug works to suppress a cytokine that spurs the activation of these eosinophils. Depemokimab is administered as an injection only once every six months.
GSK has said that the monoclonal antibody represents a key growth area for the company’s respiratory business, which has been boosted in recent years by the asthma drug Nucala.
Depemokimab is also being trialled in chronic rhinosinusitis, with data expected to come out on that indication later this year.
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Under Chief Executive Officer Emma Walmsley, GSK has revitalized its pipeline, and it expects at least 12 major launches from 2025 in infectious diseases, HIV, respiratory and oncology. The push comes following the spinoff of GSK’s consumer-health division.
The changes look to be paying off, with GSK raising its profit forecast and boosting its long-term outlook this year.
The shares traded 1% lower early Tuesday in London, but they’ve risen more than 20% in 2024.
(Updates with shares)
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