en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 17, AstraZeneca announced the official launch of Tezspire in China. The product's generic name is Tezepelumab Injection, indicated for the maintenance treatment of severe asthma in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older, as well as for adult patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps who are inadequately controlled by systemic corticosteroids and/or surgery, in combination with intranasal corticosteroids.

Tezspire is a biologic targeting thymic stromal lymphopoietin, which inhibits multiple pathways related to airway inflammation by blocking upstream epithelial cytokines in the inflammatory cascade. The product, available in a 210 mg dosage, was approved for marketing in China on March 25, 2026, with the two indications officially announced by AstraZeneca on March 27.

The approval for the severe asthma indication was primarily based on the DIRECTION Phase III clinical study. Conducted in China, South Korea, and the Philippines, the study enrolled 400 patients with severe uncontrolled asthma, 77% of whom were from China. After 52 weeks of treatment, compared with placebo, Tezepelumab reduced the annualized asthma exacerbation rate by 74% in the overall Asian patient population; the annualized exacerbation rate in the Chinese patient subgroup was reduced by 80%. The study also assessed lung function, asthma symptoms, and quality of life.

The basis for the chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps indication came from the WAYPOINT Phase III study. The study enrolled 408 patients with severe uncontrolled disease and evaluated the effects of Tezepelumab on nasal polyp score, nasal congestion symptoms, sense of smell, quality of life, and the need for surgery and systemic corticosteroids. Results showed that patients treated with Tezepelumab experienced improvements in both nasal polyp and nasal congestion scores, along with a reduced need for surgery and systemic corticosteroids.

Following the official launch of Tezepelumab, AstraZeneca's product portfolio in the respiratory and immunology therapeutic areas in China has further expanded to cover severe asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. The patient assistance program associated with this product is expected to be initiated in mid-to-late August 2026, and eligible patients who pass the review may apply for drug assistance in accordance with the program's provisions.