The size of the respiratory drugs marketplace and the fierce level of competition means it is important for pharmaceutical companies to differentiate their medicines from others. Circassia (CIR) and AstraZeneca (AZN) have done just that by proving their drug, Tudorza, reduces the risk of progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) in high-risk patients.
Tudorza is one of just two drugs on the market to have achieved this result, the other – Spiriva – generates around $3bn of revenue a year. But Spiriva has recently been at the heart of safety concerns, due to the amount of time it takes to pass out of the blood. Tudorza passes out of the blood much more quickly than its peer and could therefore become the first-choice medicine for high-risk COPD patients.
