AZN Stock Gains as COPD Drug Clears Two Late-Stage Studies
Shares of AstraZeneca AZN rose nearly 3% on Friday after the company announced that its experimental monoclonal antibody, tozorakimab, met the primary endpoint in two phase III studies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The two studies — OBERON and TITANIA — evaluated the drug against placebo in adults with symptomatic COPD who had a history of at least two moderate or at least one severe COPD exacerbations (or worsening of disease symptoms) in the 12 months before enrolment.
Both studies achieved their primary endpoint, as treatment with tozorakimab reduced the annualized rate of moderate-to-severe COPD exacerbations compared with placebo in the primary population of former smokers. The results also showed a similar benefit in the overall population, which included former and current smokers, across all blood eosinophil (a type of white blood cell) counts and all stages of lung function severity.
AstraZeneca did not provide any numbers to support these results. The company intends to report full results from these two studies at a future medical meeting.
AZN Stock Performance
Shares of AstraZenecaAZN-- inched up on Friday, as the above results highlight tozorakimab’s potential for a chronic condition like COPD, which remains the third leading cause of death globally.
COPD is an area with limited treatment options, with approximately 400 million people diagnosed worldwide. The drug is designed to target IL-33, a key driver of inflammation. Rival treatments targeting this pathway, such as Sanofi SNY/Regeneron’s REGN itepekimab and Roche’s RHHBY astegolimab, have previously reported mixed or unsuccessful late-stage study results last year, emphasizing the significance of AstraZeneca’s data.
The stock outperformed the industry in the year-to-date period, as seen in the chart below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
More on AZN’s Tozorakimab
Apart from OBERON and TITANIA, the drug is being evaluated in two more phase III studies for COPD — PROSPERO and MIRANDA. Results from these two studies are expected in the first half of 2026.
AstraZeneca is also evaluating tozorakimab in a late-stage study for severe viral lower respiratory tract disease and a mid-stage study for asthma.
AZN’s Zacks Rank
AstraZeneca currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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