New data for Airsupra and Breztri highlight progress in advancing asthma and COPD care globally

AstraZeneca will present the latest clinical and real-world data across its leading inhaled, biologic and early science respiratory portfolio at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference, in San Francisco, CA from 16 to 21 May 2025.

With more than 75 abstracts, including eight late-breakers, the Company continues to drive innovation and address unmet needs in care across all severities of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) and other chronic inflammatory diseases.

Ruud Dobber, Executive Vice President and President, BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit, AstraZeneca, said: “With asthma and COPD affecting hundreds of millions of people – and COPD now the third leading cause of death worldwide – our portfolio of inhaled and biologic medicines is central to achieving our bold ambition to transform respiratory care. The data we’re presenting at ATS focus on important gaps in care today, including improving the treatment approach to asthma rescue medication, reducing cardiopulmonary risk in COPD and targeting the underlying mechanisms that drive a broad range of inflammatory diseases.”

Sharon Barr, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, said: “Today, far too many patients with asthma remain uncontrolled in their disease. Our data at ATS demonstrate progress we’ve made in advancing innovative treatments, moving beyond symptom control into disease modification, remission and one day, potentially a cure. We’re particularly excited by the results of the BATURA Phase IIIb trial exploring Airsupra and its potential to transform rescue treatment in asthma, and look forward to discussing the full data with the scientific community.”

Through data from our inhaled portfolio, we are advancing the science in asthma and COPD for patients who remain uncontrolled on current treatments:

• Airsupra (albuterol/budesonide): Anti-inflammatory rescue treatment demonstrates potential to be the preferred rescue across all asthma severities, superior to albuterol-alone, according to guidelines outlined by Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA)
• BATURA Phase IIIb prespecified analysis: data explores the impact of as-needed Airsupra compared with albuterol-alone in reducing cumulative exposure to systemic corticosteroids in people with mild asthma.¹
• MANDALA Phase III study post-hoc analysis: this analysis explores time-to-first severe exacerbation and annualised exacerbation rate in the first 3 months post-treatment initiation with as-needed Airsupra versus albuterol-alone.²
• GRANITE study baseline characteristics: clinical characteristics of early users of Airsupra in a US claims database.³
• Breztri (budesonide/glycopyrrolate/formoterol fumarate, BGF): Enhancing our understanding of the impact on cardiopulmonary outcomes and the COPD-asthma connection with Breztri, an inhaled triple therapy
• ETHOS Phase III post-hoc analysis: the new analysis explores the estimated number needed to treat (NNT) across a range of cardiopulmonary endpoints with Breztri compared to dual long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA)/long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs) therapy in patients with moderate-to-very severe COPD.⁴
• MITOS EROS+CP studies: late-breaking real-world data investigates whether prompt initiation of Breztri after a COPD exacerbation is associated with reduced subsequent COPD exacerbations and cardiopulmonary events in patients with COPD compared to delayed and very-delayed initiation strategies. Data also investigates impact of Breztri on COPD exacerbations in patients with COPD and asthma compared to delayed and very-delayed initiation strategies.^5,6
• Functional respiratory imaging (FRI) study: the first of its kind study to assess the lung deposition profile of Breztri in patients with COPD and concomitant asthma (ACO) who have persistent airflow limitation.⁷

Highlights from data across our leading biologics portfolio demonstrate efforts to target the underlying mechanisms that drive a broader range of inflammatory conditions:

• Fasenra (benralizumab): Demonstrating Fasenra’s unique mechanism of action targeting and removing the source of eosinophilic inflammation across diseases
• MANDARA open label extension: two-year efficacy and safety data for the treatment of EGPA will explore remission rates with switch from mepolizumab to Fasenra and impact on oral corticosteroid (OCS) sparing.⁸
• Fasenra and depemokimab modelling comparison: results will highlight eosinophil depletion with Fasenra versus depemokimab through pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model simulation.⁹
• ZEPHYR-5 study: in patients with a diagnosis of asthma and concomitant COPD, a retrospective US database analysis will demonstrate the impact Fasenra has on the rate of COPD exacerbations.¹⁰
• Tezspire (tezepelumab): Advancing the science of Tezspire’s unique mechanism of action targeting thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) as a key driver in a range of epithelial-driven inflammatory diseases
• WAYFINDER Phase IIIb study: data will evaluate the impact of Tezspire on OCS use in OCS-dependent patients with severe asthma.¹¹
• WAYPOINT sub-analysis: efficacy and safety data will evaluate effects of Tezspire in adults with severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, with and without co-morbid asthma.¹²
• COURSE Phase IIa trial: a proof-of-concept trial investigating Tezspire in moderate to very severe COPD patients irrespective of inflammatory drivers, baseline blood eosinophil levels, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and smoking status.¹³
• Tozorakimab: Demonstrating potential benefits of tozorakimab to reduce excess inflammation in IL-33 driven diseases
• FRONTIER Phase II programme: results from four studies across asthma and COPD explore tozorakimab’s safety profile.¹⁴
• Retrospective cohort study on COPD exacerbations and smoking status: characteristics and outcomes of people with COPD who experience frequent/severe exacerbations while receiving inhaled triple therapy were evaluated based on their smoking status.¹⁵
• Retrospective cohort study on treatment patterns in US patients hospitalised for severe viral lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD): data will provide new insight into medication use in patients with severe viral LRTD, stratified by time period, viral etiology and clinical severity.¹⁶
• Data on our early-stage pipeline and machine learning (AI) showcase how we are deepening our understanding of new diseases through technology and exploring new pathways in COPD:
• GREAT-2 Phase II trial: efficacy and safety data will evaluate effects of gremubamab (MEDI3902) in patients with bronchiectasis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonisation, which is associated with increased exacerbations and poor outcomes in bronchiectasis.¹⁷
• COPD pre-clinical data: data evaluates the impact of AZD6793, a novel IRAK4 inhibitor currently undergoing clinical investigation, on multiple disease-relevant pathways in COPD.^18-20
• Deep learning-based studies: data explore how we are utilizing machine learning to predict disease progression, advancing our understanding of respiratory diseases with significant unmet medical need, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)^21-23 and COPD.²⁴

 

View key AstraZeneca presentations during ATS 2025 HERE.