Airsupra demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of severe exacerbations in patients with intermittent or mild persistent asthma in BATURA phase III trial

Positive high-level results from the BATURA Phase IIIb trial showed AstraZeneca’s Airsupra (albuterol/budesonide) met the primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of a severe exacerbation when used as an as-needed rescue medication in response to symptoms compared to as-needed albuterol. The trial included patients with intermittent or mild persistent asthma, including those on short-acting beta2-agonist (SABA) alone, low-dose inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) maintenance therapy, or leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) maintenance therapy.

James Donohue, Emeritus Professor of Pulmonary Medicine, University of North Carolina, and Chair, Independent Data Monitoring Committee, said: “People with asthma are at risk of severe exacerbations regardless of their disease severity or level of control. By focusing on patients with intermittent or mild persistent asthma, the strong BATURA trial results further demonstrate the clinically meaningful benefit of an anti-inflammatory rescue approach to reduce the risk of severe exacerbations by treating both symptoms and inflammation at the same time.”

Sharon Barr, Executive Vice-President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, said: “The impressive BATURA trial results add to the body of evidence supporting Airsupra as a first-in-class rescue treatment and its role in reducing the risk of asthma exacerbations in patients regardless of their disease severity, and reducing the need for systemic corticosteroids.”

The safety and tolerability of Airsupra in the BATURA trial was consistent with its established profile and no new safety concerns were reported. The data will be shared with health authorities and will be presented as a late-breaker oral presentation at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting on 26 October 2024.

Airsupra is the first and only anti-inflammatory rescue medication approved in the US for the as-needed treatment or prevention of bronchoconstriction and to reduce the risk of exacerbations in people with asthma aged 18 years and older. The US approval was based on results from the MANDALA and DENALI Phase III trials. Airsupra is also being studied in adolescents with asthma (12 to  under 18 years old) in the ACADIA Phase III trial and in patients in China in the BAIYUN Phase III trial..Airsupra is being developed by AstraZeneca and Avillion.