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# AZ Halts Elarekibep Asthma Phase 2a Trial
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/az-halts-elarekibep-asthma-phase-2a-trial/
- Published: 2023-06-21T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T18:40:13.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5154733

Pieris Pharmaceuticals says its partner AstraZeneca has decided to discontinue and stop dosing in the clinical study of elarekibep, an inhaled IL-4 receptor alpha inhibitor being developed to treat asthma. A Pieris [statement](https://www.pieris.com/investors/news-events/press-releases/detail/702/pieris-pharmaceuticals-announces-astrazeneca?ref=fdaweb.com) says the decision was based on lung findings from a non-clinical 13-week GLP toxicology study with dry powder inhaler-formulated elarekibep, which are not a concern for the active clinical studies but do not support long-term use and progression to later-stage development.

AstraZeneca’s decision was made independent of any data from the Phase 2a study, the statement says. Pieris says it will expedite a review of the implications of the data and AZ’s decision on the program and will review its overall corporate priorities.

The statement says AstraZeneca concluded that there were no clinical observations across any of the doses but that there were respiratory tract pathology findings. The findings included inflammation-mediated lung tissue damage, which did not appear to be dose-related, it says.