ASTRA BROADENS RESEARCH BASE

Astra is moving towards seriously competing with Glaxo on two fronts, firstly by developing a Turbuhaler version of Glaxo's best-selling asthma treatment Ventolin (salbutamol), and secondly by developing an eradication regimen for Helicobacter pylori, the organism implicated strongly in peptic ulcer disease and also gastric cancer (Marketletter November 22). Details of these and other research projects were given at Astra's open house presentation in London, UK, recently.

The majority of Astra's near-term potential will come from line extensions and expanding the indications of its existing products, but the company also has several interesting compounds in its pipeline, some of which may have significant earnings potential if they proceed to market.

Astra's respiratory program is one of the most fertile in its development pipeline, with two other new Turbuhaler formulations of established drugs, formoterol and ipratropium, in development. Line extensions of marketed products include a once-daily Turbuhaler formulation of budesonide, a pediatric formulation of bambuterol and a combination budesonide and formoterol Turbuhaler. Further back in clinical development are two new inhaled corticosteroids for asthma, D-5272 and D-5519, which are in clinical trials but are not expected to be submitted for approval until well after 1995.