AstraZeneca two-in-one drug succeeds in lung disease test

Reuters
A man walks past a sign at an AstraZeneca site in Macclesfield, central England May 19, 2014. REUTERS/Phil Noble

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca said on Wednesday its experimental lung drug PT003 for chronic lung disease had proved successful in two final-stage Phase III trials, boosting hopes for the company's respiratory pipeline. The drug, which AstraZeneca acquired after buying Pearl Therapeutics two years ago, combines a long-acting beta-2 agonist (LABA) and a long-acting muscarine antagonist (LAMA). AstraZeneca plans to file PT003 for approval commencing in 2015. Rival firms also have LAMA/LABA drugs that are more advanced than PT003, but AstraZeneca's drug is administered with a pressurized meter-dose inhaler instead of a dry-powder inhaler, which may suit elderly patients in particular. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler, editing by Louise Heavens)