Sanofi’s drug Dupixent succeeded in a late-stage trial for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, raising the odds that the blockbuster will be the first biologic medicine cleared to treat the lung disorder.
(Bloomberg) — Sanofi’s drug Dupixent succeeded in a late-stage trial for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, raising the odds that the blockbuster will be the first biologic medicine cleared to treat the lung disorder.
Dupixent showed a 30% reduction in the rate at which patients’ COPD worsened compared to those who received a placebo during the stage-three Boreas trial, the company said in a statement Thursday.
The French drugmaker probably needs Dupixent to also perform well in the related trial, called Notus, before it can apply for approval, according to Tim Anderson, an analyst at Wolfe Research. That likely won’t produce key data until next year.
Even so, this is the first time an antibody therapy has shown to be effective against COPD and follows stumbles from AstraZeneca Plc’s drug Fasenra and GSK Plc’s Nucala, Peter Welford of Jefferies pointed out in a recent note.
Sanofi has developed Dupixent with the US company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. The company has a peak sales forecast of more than €13 billion ($14.2 billion) for the drug, which doesn’t include any potential revenue for treating COPD.
Some analysts are already forecasting that Dupixent — which is already used to treat asthma and some skin conditions — will hit as much as €18 billion in sales by 2030.
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