Dive Brief:
- Duakir is a combo treatment that consists of Almirall’s Eklira (aclidinium) and formeterol.
- Duakir is a twice-daily formulation that is administered via the Genuair dry powder inhaler.
- Phase III data show that Duakir significantly improves lung function compared with placebo, while reducing moderate-to-severe exacerbations by 29%.
Dive Insight:
The approval of Duakir bodes well for the Spain-based company Almirall, but also for AstraZeneca, which is currently in the process of buying Almirall’s respiratory drugs in a deal that could be worth as much as $2.1 billion.
During phase III testing, Duakir was tested not only against placebo, but also against each of the individual COPD treatments, aclidinium monotherapy and formeterol monotherapy. In each case, Duakir outperformed and improved the daily symptoms of COPD patients.