AstraZeneca lung disease drug shows 30% reduction in COPD exacerbations

AstraZeneca announced positive clinical trial results on September 8, 2026, revealing that its new drug tozorakimab reduced moderate and severe COPD exacerbations by approximately 30% in late-stage studies. Simultaneously, the company reported that combining its cancer drug Imfinzi with Amgen's Imdelltra significantly improved overall survival in lung cancer patients. These dual clinical victories provide a vital boost to investor confidence and AstraZeneca's pipeline following consecutive trial failures of Wainua and volrustomig earlier in the summer.

Tozorakimab COPD trial results

• ▪AstraZeneca announced the results of its late-stage clinical trials for the COPD drug tozorakimab on September 8, 2026, at the European Respiratory Society annual meeting in Barcelona
• ▪AstraZeneca expects tozorakimab to generate multibillion-dollar sales following its positive late-stage clinical trial results
• ▪AstraZeneca's drug tozorakimab reduced moderate and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations by approximately 30% compared with standard therapy in two late-stage clinical trials

Imfinzi-Imdelltra combination cancer trial

• ▪The combination of Imfinzi and Imdelltra improved progression-free survival and response rates in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer patients with no new safety concerns identified
• ▪The late-stage trial of Imfinzi combined with Imdelltra tested the combination as a maintenance treatment against Imfinzi alone in patients whose disease had not progressed after standard induction therapy
• ▪AstraZeneca's cancer drug Imfinzi, combined with Amgen's targeted immunotherapy Imdelltra, significantly improved overall survival of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer patients in a late-stage trial

AstraZeneca oncology revenue

• ▪Imfinzi is a human monoclonal antibody approved for several cancers that blocks tumor mechanisms helping cancers evade the immune system while enhancing the body's anti-cancer immune response
• ▪Cancer therapies make up nearly half of AstraZeneca's sales, with Imfinzi contributing $6.06 billion to the company's oncology product revenue of $25.62 billion in 2025

Recent drug trial failures

• ▪AstraZeneca discontinued its clinical trial of the lung cancer drug volrustomig in August 2026
• ▪AstraZeneca experienced a late-stage trial failure of its nerve disease drug Wainua in a heart disease trial in July 2026

Investor confidence concerns

• ▪Investor confidence in AstraZeneca has been dented by a series of clinical trial blows in mid-2026, including the failures of Wainua and volrustomig
• ▪The positive clinical trial results for tozorakimab and the Imfinzi-Imdelltra combination provide a boost to AstraZeneca following its recent clinical setbacks

3 sources