Regeneron, Sanofi say Dupixent works in COPD

Shares of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. REGN, +6.17% rallied about 7% in premarket trading on Thursday after the company said a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial showed that Dupixent reduced exacerbations in people with uncontrolled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), compared with placebo. U.S.-listed shares of Sanofi SNY, +5.96%, which co-developed Dupixent, were up about 6%. The drug is already approved to treat conditions like eczema and asthma; it generated $8.7 billion revenue for Regeneron last year. About 300,000 people in the U.S. have uncontrolled COPD with type 2 inflammation, according to Regeneron’s news release. The study enrolled about 1,000 adults between the ages of 40 and 80 year old who smoke or are former smokers. Regeneron’s stock is up 4.1% so far this year, while the S&P 500 SPX, +0.31% has gained 2.9%.