Teva's asthma treatment Cinqaero set for European approval

Teva's asthma treatment Cinqaero (reslizumab)has been recommended for European approval by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).

The antibody therapy was backed for use in combination with other medicines for the maintenance treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma in adults, who have had at least one asthma exacerbation in the year prior.

It is the second humanised interleukin-5 (IL-5) inhibitor to be recommended for approval in the EU, with GlaxoSmithKline's potential blockbuster Nucala (mepolizumab) already available on the market.

First licensed by the US FDA in March this year, Cinqaero showed in two clinical trials that it is able to reduce exacerbation rates by 50% and 60%, respectively, and improve lung function in patients.

However, analysts have suggested that GSK's subcutaneous formulation could give Nucala an edge over Cinqaero's intravenous injection.

Teva does have a subcutaneous version of its therapy in the works, but it is currently in phase III testing and so is unlikely to ready for filing for a few years.

Approximately 8% of people in the US have been diagnosed with asthma, and up to 20% of those are thought to suffer from severe asthma.