AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN) has reported an unsuccessful phase-three clinical trial for a new treatment to help with a condition of the oesophagus.
The late-stage ‘MESSINA’ study of the company’s Fasrena drug in eosinophilic esophagitis did not meet one of the two ‘dual primary’ endpoints, as it failed to show an improvement in problems with swallowing, also known as dysphagia, compared to placebo.
In the tests, which were carried out in a group of patients aged over 12, Fasrena did demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in histological disease remission compared to placebo, though.
Eosinophilic esophagitis is a rare, progressive, chronic inflammatory disease of the oesophagus, which can lead to difficulty with swallowing, pain, food getting stuck and anxiety.
Fasrena, or benralizumab, is currently approved as an add-on maintenance treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma in the US, EU, Japan and other countries, studied in almost 4,000 patients in global clinical trials.
This eosinophilic esophagitis trial showed that Fasenra achieved “near complete depletion of tissue eosinophils, consistent with its mechanism of action,” said AstraZeneca’s BioPharmaceuticals R&D chief Mene Pangalos in a statement.
However, Pangalo acknowledged that “this did not translate into an improvement in dysphagia symptoms” and the company will continue to analyse the complete data set and then share it.