GSK secures Phase III win for Nucala in COPD

UK pharma major GSK (LSE: GSK) today announced positive headline results of MATINEE, the Phase III clinical trial evaluating its asthma drug Nucala (mepolizumab), a monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-5 (IL-5) in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The trial recruited COPD patients with broad clinical presentations of chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema, who were receiving optimized inhaled maintenance therapy. Participants were also required to have evidence of type 2 inflammation characterized by raised blood eosinophil count. MATINEE met its primary endpoint with the addition of Nucala to inhaled maintenance therapy, and study results showed a statistically-significant and clinically-meaningful reduction in the annualized rate of moderate/severe exacerbations versus placebo with patients treated for up to 104 weeks.

The preliminary safety results are consistent with the known safety profile of Nucala, said GSK, adding that further analysis of these data is ongoing.