(Reuters) - British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc said on Thursday that its respiratory drug Trelegy Ellipta met the main goal of a late-stage asthma study, signalling a possible boost to its lung medicines division that has been hit by generic competition.
The company, along with co-developer Innoviva Inc, said the once-daily inhaler improved lung function in patients with uncontrolled asthma, compared to its other medicine Relvar/Breo Ellipta. However, GSK said Trelegy Ellipta did not meet its secondary goal.
The results come at a time when GSK is hit by generic competition for its blockbuster asthma treatment Advair and it looks to newer respiratory drugs to make up for declines in older medicines.
Trelegy Ellipta, a combination of three drugs, is already approved for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition that limits airflow to the lungs.
The drug became the first once-daily triple medicine for COPD when U.S. regulators greenlit it in late 2017, putting GSK ahead of rivals such as AstraZeneca and Novartis.
(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
