Pipeline :: Asthma

Asthma Therapy

Together with our partner AstraZeneca, we are developing AZD1419, a novel candidate drug for asthma. Our asthma therapy utilizes a second-generation Toll-like Receptor 9 agonist and represents a new strategy for the treatment of allergic respiratory diseases such as asthma. This therapy is designed to modify the course of these diseases by changing the basic immune response to environmental allergens, such as house dust and pollens, leading to prolonged reduction in asthma symptoms.

We are developing ADZ1419 under our worldwide collaboration with AstraZeneca to discover, develop, and commercialize products for asthma and COPD. We are currently working on a second candidate drug and have extended our research collaboration with AstraZeneca to provide research funding for a third candidate.

Commercial Opportunity

According to the World Health Organization, asthma affects 300 million people worldwide. Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs and is caused primarily by allergic inflammation of the airways. In addition, 210 million people worldwide are affected by COPD, a term used to describe chronic lung diseases that limit airflow in the lungs. Analysts estimate the current worldwide market opportunity for asthma and COPD therapies to be over $15 billion annually.

Current asthma and COPD therapies include corticosteroids and bronchodilators, which treat the symptoms of these respiratory diseases. AZD1419 is intended to be a disease modifying therapy that has demonstrated the potential to inhibit and induce durable changes to the allergic response that causes asthma symptoms.