GSK lung drug succeeds in big UK study, after earlier miss

[May 24, 2016]  LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline's new inhaled medicine Breo proved significantly better than standard care in a large British study that tested it in everyday use, providing a fillip for the product after the failure of another big trial in 2015.

GSK said on Tuesday that the study, which tested Breo in day-to-day practice across the town of Salford, showed it was superior in reducing attacks of serious breathing difficulties in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

There was a statistically significant reduction of 8.4 percent in the rate of moderate or severe exacerbations compared with those receiving usual care, the study found.

The success comes after another more traditional clinical trial in September found Breo failed to prolong life in COPD patients.

Britain's largest drugmaker is relying on Breo, which was approved in 2013, to help defend its respiratory drug business as its older blockbuster Advair faces generic competition. U.S. drugmaker Innoviva is GSK's partner for Breo.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Susan Thomas)

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