AstraZeneca's Tezspire Hits Mark in Oesophagus Disease Trial

AstraZeneca's asthma drug Tezspire has shown promise in treating oesophagus disease, according to a late-stage trial. The study met its main goals in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis, a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting over 470,000 people in the United States.

Tezspire, developed with Amgen, significantly reduced inflammation and eased difficulty in swallowing compared to a placebo at 52 weeks. This is a significant advantage for AstraZeneca's pipeline, which has faced several setbacks recently.

The company's shares were down 0.6% on the news, having fallen 14% since the failure of its nerve disease drug Wainua in July. CEO Pascal Soriot aims to reach $80 billion in annual sales by 2030 through up to 20 new drug launches.