An asthma treatment that only requires patients to have two jabs a year to prevent life-threatening attacks will be available in Britain.
The pharmaceutical giant GSK has been granted marketing authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for depemokimab.
The treatment, which will be sold under the brand name Exdensur, is an “ultra-long-acting” version of a biologic treatment that contains antibodies to reduce inflammation in the lungs.
It is the first of its kind, and treats respiratory diseases with just a twice-yearly dosing.
Kaivan Khavandi, SVP & global head of Respiratory, Immunology & Inflammation R&D, GSK, said: “Today’s UK approval of Exdensur, the first in the world, has the potential to redefine care for millions of patients.
“This ultra-long-acting biologic delivers sustained efficacy to reduce asthma exacerbations, keep patients out of hospital and help prevent cumulative lung damage in just two doses a year.
“This is a step change in respiratory treatment, and we look forward to additional regulatory decisions expected in the US, Japan, EU and China.”
Results from a trial of 762 patients found that the drug reduced clinically significant exacerbations of asthma attacks by 54 per cent and cut hospital admissions by 72 per cent.
Asthma is a condition that inflames and narrows the airways in the lungs, making breathing difficult, while severe chronic rhinosinusitis is inflammation of the nose and paranasal sinuses where symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks.
This inflammation can lead to soft tissue growths, known as nasal polyps.
The medicine is administered via injection under the skin once every six months.
The treatment is due to go on sale privately in the first half of 2026, before and watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), will decide whether it will be prescribed on the NHS, The Times reported.
Julian Beach, MHRA interim executive director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said: “These conditions affect a significant number of people across the UK, and in some cases can be difficult to manage despite existing treatments.
“This approval represents another potential treatment option for patients living with some forms of these conditions whose symptoms have not been adequately controlled with current therapies.
“As with all licensed medicines, we will keep the safety and effectiveness of depemokimab under close review.”
Last month, Asthma and Lung UK said that over the last two years alone, there has been a 23 per cent increase in emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions – such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Between April 2024 and March 2025, there were 2,268,865 emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in England, compared to 1,841,010 between April 2022 and March 2023, a rise of 427,855.