The MHRA has authorised GSK’s Nucala (mepolizumab) in the UK as an add-on maintenance treatment for adults with uncontrolled COPD of an eosinophilic phenotype who are already receiving triple therapy with an inhaled corticosteroid, a long-acting beta2 agonist and a long-acting muscarinic antagonist.

The decision follows results from two placebo-controlled phase 3 studies, MATINEE and METREX, which demonstrated that mepolizumab significantly reduced the annualised rate of moderate or severe exacerbations and extended the time to first exacerbation once treatment had begun. The safety profile was consistent with what is already known for the medicine.

Professor Mona Bafadhel, Director of King’s Centre for Lung Health and Chair of Respiratory Medicine at King’s College London, said: “For people living with COPD, managing exacerbations is an ongoing challenge that significantly impacts their lives, with almost a quarter of hospitalised patients being re-admitted within 30 days. The approval of mepolizumab provides us with a new treatment option that can help people with eosinophilic COPD by reducing the frequency of their exacerbations.”

Dr Joanne Hunt, Medical Head, Specialty, GSK UK, said: “At GSK, we’re committed to redefining respiratory care through innovation. If recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), mepolizumab will be administered every four weeks to significantly reduce the rate of moderate/severe exacerbations and delay the time to first moderate/severe exacerbation once commenced on treatment.”

Bial has introduced a new sublingual formulation of apomorphine in the UK, offering a fresh treatment option for adults with Parkinson’s disease who experience intermittent OFF episodes that are not adequately controlled by oral medication.

Around 166,000 people in the UK are estimated to live with Parkinson’s, many of whom experience OFF periods when levodopa becomes insufficient during the day.

These episodes can cause the return of symptoms such as stiffness, tremors and difficulty moving, affecting independence and quality of life. Rescue therapies that act quickly are therefore considered an important complement to standard treatment.

Tom Foltynie, Consultant Neurologist and Professor of Neurology at the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, said: “Motor fluctuations are a major concern for patients as Parkinson’s progresses. Oral doses of Levodopa can take an hour before they start to take effect, and some doses fail completely because of slow stomach emptying or competition for absorption from dietary protein.

“Identifying other mechanisms of administration for dopaminergic therapies is therefore of major importance and we look forward to assessing the benefits of sublingual apomorphine in our PD patients experiencing this problem,” he added.

Camille Carroll, Consultant Neurologist and Professor of Clinical Neuroscience at the Translational and Clinical Research Institute at Newcastle and Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, said: “I am delighted to see Kynmobi becoming available as another therapeutic option in the UK for Parkinson’s disease.”