AstraZeneca completes clinical trials for near-zero emission inhalers

Efforts to replace medical inhalers with near-zero emission alternatives have taken a major step forward, with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca today announcing that it has completed the clinical programme for a new medicine that promises to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 99.9 per cent.

Pressurised inhalers that are commonly used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) typically feature powerful greenhouse gases and account for a sizeable share of the pharmaceutical industry’s emissions footprint.

According to studies, pressurised-metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) contribute around 0.04 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but they can account for around half of the carbon footprint of leading pharmaceutical companies.

As such, there is an arms race underway across the industry to develop low emission alternatives that can slash emissions without impacting patient safety.

AstraZeneca announced in 2022 it had teamed up with engineering giant Honeywell to develop respiratory inhalers using the propellant HFO-1234ze, which has up to 99.9 per cent less Global Warming Potential (GWP) than propellants currently used in respiratory medicines.

And today, the pharma giant confirmed it has completed the clinical studies that support the first regulatory filings for the transition of its Breztri/Trixeo Aerosphere over to the new propellant.

Breztri is a triple-combination therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is set to be the first medicine in AstraZeneca’s portfolio of pMDIs to transition to HFO-1234ze.

“Respiratory medicines delivered in pressurised metered-dose inhalers are essential for millions of people living with respiratory disease worldwide, including specific vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly,” said Omar Usmani, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Imperial College London and co-ordinating study investigator. “Transitioning to inhaled respiratory medicines using a propellant with a carbon footprint similar to non-propellant-based inhaled medicines is critical for planetary health in reducing the carbon footprint, while addressing patient needs and healthcare professionals’ ability to achieve optimal clinical outcomes.”

Results from the studies on Breztri and the new propellant are now to be shared with regulatory authorities, with the first submissions in Europe, the UK, and China expected before the end of 2024.

The submissions come as clinical programmes continue for the transition of AstraZeneca’s wider pMDI portfolio to the new propellant.

The roll out of the new inhalers is expected to play a major role in AstraZeneca’s Ambition Zero Carbon strategy, which includes targets to halve its entire value chain carbon footprint by 2030, on the way to a 90 per cent absolute emissions reduction against a 2019 baseline by 2045 at the latest.

The news comes after rival pharma giant GSK announced late last year that it had entered Phase III trials for a new formula for its inhalers that promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 90 per cent.

You can now sign up to attend the fifth annual Net Zero Festival, which will be hosted by BusinessGreen on October 22-23 at the Business Design Centre in London.

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