AAAAI 2014: Roche's lebrikizumab shows reduction of asthma attack rates

Swiss drug major Roche (ROG: SIX) has presented new data from the LUTE / VERSE Phase IIb studies for the investigational compound lebrikizumab in patients with severe uncontrolled asthma.

These data showed that asthma attacks were reduced by 60% in lebrikizumab-treated patients with a high level of the biomarker periostin, compared to only 5% in patients with a low level of periostin. These data also showed that in patients with high periostin levels, lebrikizumab improved lung function compared to placebo as measured by FEV1, which reflects an increase in the maximum amount of air that can be forcibly exhaled in one second. Lebrikizumab was generally well-tolerated and the safety profile was consistent with previous study results. The LUTE / VERSE findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) in San Diego, California.

Sandra Horning, head of Global Product Development and chief medical officer at Roche, said: “We conclude based on these recent results that high levels of periostin, a protein that indicates a certain type of asthma, can predict which patients are most likely to benefit from lebrikizumab. The study results are encouraging because more effective treatment options are needed for patients with severe uncontrolled asthma.”