Prime Highlight
- GSK’s depemokimab, sold as Exdensur, has been approved in the UK as the first ultra-long-acting biologic for asthma, requiring only one injection every six months.
- The treatment significantly reduces severe asthma attacks and hospital admissions, offering hope for patients whose symptoms are not controlled by current therapies.
Key Facts
- Clinical trials with 762 patients showed Exdensur reduced serious asthma flare-ups by 54% and hospital admissions by 72%.
- The drug also helps patients with severe chronic rhinosinusitis and will initially be sold privately in the first half of 2026, with potential NHS availability later.
Background
A new asthma treatment that needs only two injections a year to prevent severe attacks has been approved for use in the UK, raising hopes for millions of patients.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has granted marketing approval to pharmaceutical company GSK for depemokimab, which will be sold under the brand name Exdensur. The medicine is the first “ultra-long-acting” biologic for respiratory disease and is designed to reduce lung inflammation with just one dose every six months.
GSK said the drug has the potential to change how asthma is treated. Kaivan Khavandi, head of respiratory research at GSK, said the treatment could help keep patients out of the hospital and prevent long-term lung damage with only two jabs a year.
Results from a clinical trial involving 762 patients showed that Exdensur reduced serious asthma flare-ups by 54% and cut hospital admissions by 72%. The medicine works by using antibodies that target inflammation in the airways.
Asthma makes the airways in the lungs swell and narrow, which makes breathing hard. The drug also helps patients with severe chronic rhinosinusitis, a condition that swells the nose and sinuses for a long time and can cause nasal polyps.
The medicine is given as an injection under the skin every six months. It will be sold privately in the first half of 2026. Later, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will decide if the NHS will give it to patients.
Julian Beach, interim director at the MHRA, said the approval offers a new option for people whose symptoms do not improve with current treatments.
The announcement comes as asthma cases continue to rise. Asthma and Lung UK recently reported a 23% increase in emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions over the last two years, showing the urgent need for better long-term treatments.
