AZ calls off one drug launch, but opens door to Crestor approval

Drug giant AstraZeneca halted plans to launch a treatment to fight bronchitis, having spent millions testing over 4,000 patients in 24 countries. AZ chief executive, Tom McKillop, said that Viozan, the D2B2 agonist for the treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) — diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema — failed to maintain benefits in late-stage trials. The decision was taken to discontinue with development and focus resources on other products.

AZ has softened the blow by seeking approval from authorities in the US and Europe for Crestor (rosuvastatin), its potential blockbuster drug for lowering cholesterol levels. This should now be cleared for launch in about 12 months and eventually generate sales of £3.6bn in one of the fastest growing sectors of the pharmaceutical market. The success of this drug is vitally important to AZ as it prepares to lose patent protection on its ulcer treatment, Losec, the world's biggest selling drug.

Crestor has been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European authorities for the management of hypercholesterolaemia, mixed dyslipidaemia and isolated hypertriglyceridaemia.

According to the company, based on a clinical development programme involving 4,000 patients, Crestor has a dramatically beneficial effect on lipid levels and is superior to three other currently available statins in lowering low density lipoprotein (LDL-C), otherwise known as 'bad' cholesterol.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of morbidity and the leading cause of death in the Western world. LDL-C is the most significant contributory risk factor to atherosclerosis, a common cause of CHD, and high cholesterol levels are one of the most important risk factors in predicting CHD risk in the population.

The global statin market is estimated to be worth more than $14bn and is growing at a rate of more than 20%.