(By Balachander) GlaxoSmithKline Plc (NYSE: GSK) and Theravance Inc. (NASDAQ: THRX) announced the submission of a regulatory application in the European Union for UMEC/VI as a treatment for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
A Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for UMEC/VI (55/22mcg and 113/22mcg doses), with the proposed proprietary name ANORO, has been submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the companies said.
UMEC/VI is a combination of two investigational bronchodilator molecules - GSK573719 or umeclidinium bromide (UMEC), a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) and vilanterol (VI), a long-acting beta2 agonist (LABA), administered using the ELLIPTA inhaler.
The companies plan regulatory submissions for UMEC/VI in other countries during the course of 2013.
Further, GSK said it plans to commence global regulatory submissions for UMEC monotherapy later this year.
UMEC/VI is one of several late-stage assets in the GSK respiratory development portfolio, which includes fluticasone furoate/vilanterol (FF/VI, with proposed brand names RELVAR and BREO), VI monotherapy and MABA (GSK961081), developed in collaboration with Theravance, as well as GSK's investigational medicines FF monotherapy, UMEC monotherapy and anti-IL5 MAb (mepolizumab).
THRX shares ended at $21.72, while U.S.-listed shares of GSK closed at $44.27 on Tuesday.