Positive news flowed in at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE:TEVA) when the European Commission approved its marketing authorisation application for Cinqaero (reslizumab; interleukin-5 (IL-5) antagonist monoclonal antibody) for use as add-on therapy in adult patients with severe eosinophilic asthma inadequately controlled despite high-dose inhaled corticosteroids plus another medicinal product for maintenance treatment.
The EU approval was largely expected as the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use had issued a favorable opinion this June.
The company expects to make Cinqaero commercially available in Europe within a few upcoming months. We remind investors that Cinqaero is already marketed in the U.S. and Canada under the trade name Cinqair. Regulatory applications in other global markets are, however, pending.
We note that GlaxoSmithKline plc’s (NYSE:GSK) Nucala, another IL-5 antagonist monoclonal antibody, is marketed in both the U.S. and the EU. Meanwhile, companies like AstraZeneca plc (NYSE:AZN) are also looking to bring their anti-IL-5 antibodies to the market for the treatment of severe asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Meanwhile, Teva has several programs ranging from phase I to registration in its pipeline with many of these focused on the central nervous system and the respiratory system (asthma, COPD and allergic rhinitis). As far as other therapeutic areas like women’s health and oncology are concerned, Teva is focusing on market-ready or close-to-market products to maximize sustainable profitability.
Teva is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. Anika Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:ANIK) is a better-ranked stock in the healthcare sector, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
ASTRAZENECA PLC (AZN): Free Stock Analysis Report
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