Tezspire: A Breakthrough Treatment for Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps
What do you get when you combine the efforts of one of the world’s leading respiratory drugmakers with a global pioneer in biological medicines? You get a next-gen treatment like Tezspire, which according to pivotal results revealed this month, could become an important new therapy for an underserved respiratory condition.
Co-developed by biopharma giants AstraZeneca and Amgen, and approved in 2021 for severe asthma, Tezspire raked in combined sales of $1.2 billion for the full year 2024. Now, late-stage data in the respiratory condition chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, or CRSwNP, showed that the drug reduces the need for surgery by a startling 98% and the use of corticosteroids by 88%.
The results underscore a growing conversation about biologic treatments that offer a more comprehensive view of immunological pathways as disease targets. While competitors in CRSwNP include biologic blockbusters such as Dupixent from Sanofi and Regeneron, Novartis’ Xolair and GSK’s Nucala, Tezspire stands apart by aiming at a target higher in the immunological cascade.
By reducing cytokine release in the airway’s first line of defense, the epithelium, Tezspire is potentially more versatile than other treatments on the market.
“It’s very logical to move from these first-generation biologics to now targeting the epithelial cytokine at the top, focusing on the key role of the epithelium in driving downstream disease,” said Andrew Menzies-Gow, vice president of respiratory and immunology in global biopharmaceuticals medical at AstraZeneca. “If we think about our epithelium in our airway and then in the nose, it has a really important barrier function. As we breathe in and out, it’s the first thing that comes into contact with viruses, pollution, cigarette smoke, allergens and more.”
And with Tezspire’s ability to reduce the need for invasive surgery or corticosteroids that carry a host of long-term side effects, AstraZeneca and Amgen are looking to carve out a new pocket in the respiratory landscape.
Dr. Alison Church, vice president of global development for inflammation at Amgen, recalls a time during her medical fellowship before biologics were introduced to the space, when she felt there must be a better way to address CRSwNP.
“I’m a pediatric allergist and immunologist by training, and I can recall an 18-year-old coming out of his second surgery for nasal polyps, and I didn’t have much to offer him,” Church said. “I couldn’t be sure that anything I did would prevent him from having to have another surgery.”
Now, the growing impact of biologics on respiratory conditions has given drug developers more hope for the future in conditions like CRSwNP.
“I love the immune system, but I would be remiss to tell you that I know everything about it despite many years in the field, and there are still discovery efforts underway to find new drivers of disease — there are still plenty of potential targets that could be disease modifying or advance the current standard of care,” Church said. “It’s an exciting time in immunology and across pharma to see how much is being invested in developing new medicines for new targets.”
These new opportunities raise the bar for what’s possible, Menzies-Gow said.
“Our level of ambition is changing, and you can see that as we start to regularly talk about achieving clinical remission for people with severe asthma and even talk about defining remission for CRSwNPs, as well,” Menzies-Gow said. “As we discover new mechanisms, our ambition will quite rightly improve — we will aim higher to achieve remission and prevent disease progression.”
The companies have filed for regulatory approval of Tezspire in CNSwNP, and although the trial didn’t pit the drug against biologic competitors due to design differences, analysts have pointed to “best-in-disease” potential. Commercially, Amgen owns the U.S. rights while AstraZeneca sells Tezspire elsewhere.
The companies are also taking next-gen ambition to another tricky disease target: chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. With successful mid-stage results in hand, they plan to launch a large phase 3 study in the first half of this year. Biologics have become a prominent treatment option for various conditions, with doctors prescribing them earlier in the course of diseases. One such biologic, Tezspire, developed by a collaboration between AstraZeneca and Amgen, is making waves in the medical field. It is currently in a late-stage study to treat eosinophilic esophagitis, a condition characterized by inflammation of the esophagus.
Tezspire targets the top of the inflammatory cascade, addressing the root cause of inflammation when the epithelium is perturbed and releases cytokines. This mechanism of action sets it apart from other biologics like Dupixent, offering a different approach to treating conditions like chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Church, a representative from the collaboration, believes that there is room in the market for multiple biologics to make a difference for patients, each with its unique mechanism of action.
The collaboration between AstraZeneca and Amgen brings together their respective strengths in biologic expertise and respiratory disease specialty. This partnership, which has been ongoing since 2012, has resulted in the development of Tezspire, a versatile medication that is proving to be effective in treating various conditions. The seamless teamwork between the two companies has been key to the success of Tezspire, with both teams working together to design clinical studies and explore new indications for the medication.
Tezspire’s success is a testament to the power of collaboration in the world of Big Pharma. The synergy between AstraZeneca and Amgen has allowed them to deliver innovative treatments to a growing number of patients, expanding the reach of Tezspire to new indications. With biologics playing an increasingly important role in healthcare, partnerships like the one between AstraZeneca and Amgen are paving the way for new and effective treatments for a range of medical conditions.
