Advertisement
Singapore markets closed
  • Straits Times Index

    3,287.75
    -5.38 (-0.16%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,012.49
    -59.14 (-1.17%)
     
  • Dow

    37,880.88
    -580.04 (-1.51%)
     
  • Nasdaq

    15,461.02
    -251.73 (-1.60%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    63,615.36
    -1,163.13 (-1.80%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,373.10
    -9.48 (-0.69%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    8,076.77
    +36.39 (+0.45%)
     
  • Gold

    2,345.10
    +6.70 (+0.29%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    82.27
    -0.54 (-0.65%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.7040
    +0.0520 (+1.12%)
     
  • Nikkei

    37,628.48
    -831.60 (-2.16%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    17,284.54
    +83.27 (+0.48%)
     
  • FTSE Bursa Malaysia

    1,569.25
    -2.23 (-0.14%)
     
  • Jakarta Composite Index

    7,155.29
    -19.24 (-0.27%)
     
  • PSE Index

    6,574.88
    +2.13 (+0.03%)
     

Glaxo's Triple Therapy COPD Inhaler Gets Marketing Nod in EU

GlaxoSmithKline plc GSK and partner Innoviva, Inc. INVA announced that their triple combination therapy was granted marketing authorization in the EU as maintenance therapy for the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The once-daily single inhaler triple therapy will be marketed by the trade name of Trelegy Ellipta. It is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe COPD in patients who are already being treated with a combination of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist (LABA) but require additional bronchodilation.

Trelegy Ellipta was approved in the United States in September this year. The EU approval was expected. This is because the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) had granted a positive opinion recommending marketing approval of Trelegy Ellipta in September.

Trelegy Ellipta, a combination of fluticasone furoate – an ICS, umeclidinium –   a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) and vilanterol – a LABA therapy, will provide patients with a convenient dosing option by removing the need for multiple inhalers. The product is expected to bring in blockbuster sales. Trelegy Ellipta will be delivered in Glaxo’s Ellipta dry powder inhaler.

ADVERTISEMENT

Glaxo’s shares have declined 8.6% this year so far, underperforming the 14.7% increase witnessed by the industry.

Please note that shares of Theravance Biopharma, Inc. TBPH were up more than 6% on Thursday as the biotech has an economic interest on the royalties that Glaxo will pay to Innoviva on global sales of Trelegy Ellipta.

Glaxo has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

A better-ranked stock in the large-cap pharma sector is Johnson & Johnson JNJ with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Shares of J&J are up 20.5% so far this year while earnings estimates for 2018 have gone up by almost 1% over the past 30 days.

Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?

Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.

Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.

See the pot trades we're targeting>>


Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Innoviva, Inc. (INVA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Theravance Biopharma, Inc. (TBPH) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research