AstraZeneca/Amgen Drug Shows Significant Remission in Eosinophilic Esophagitis Study

AstraZeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) and Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) on Tuesday shared full results from the Phase 3 CROSSING trial of Tezspire (tezepelumab) in adolescents and adults with uncontrolled eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). EoE is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease where white blood cells called eosinophils build up in the lining of the esophagus (a muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach to transport food and liquid), causing damage and difficulty swallowing. Both tested doses met the co-primary endpoints by delivering statistically significant improvements in histologic remission and swallowing difficulties at week 24 compared to placebo, with benefits enduring through week 52. Researchers presented the findings during a late-breaking oral presentation at United European Gastroenterology Week 2026. Read Also: Oracle Joins Forces With AstraZeneca to Put AI to Work in Drug Research Significant Remission and Symptom Reductions The companies shared topline data from the trial in August. Patients receiving subcutaneous Tezspire every four weeks achieved histologic remission rates of 64.8% on the 210mg dose and 68.9% on the 420mg dose at week 24, compared with 3.5% for placebo. The therapy also reduced dysphagia symptom scores from baseline by 18.8 points and 22.0 points for the respective doses, versus 14.7 points in the placebo arm. These gains persisted over the 52-week evaluation period. At week 52, histologic remission rates reached 67.8% for the 210mg cohort and 63.3% for the 420mg cohort, versus 5.4% for placebo. Patients taking Tezspire maintained symptom relief, achieving average Dysphagia Symptom Questionnaire score reductions of 22.1 and 24.0 points, compared to 13.2 points for placebo. Endoscopic Remission and Safety Profile Tezspire also demonstrated significant improvements in endoscopic features at weeks 24 and 52. At week 52, 34.4% of patients on the 210mg dose and 29.5% on the 420mg dose achieved complete endoscopic remission, compared to 4.1% for placebo. Tezspire demonstrated a safety profile consistent with its approved indications, with nasopharyngitis, headache, and diarrhea occurring most frequently. The drug already holds approvals for severe asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, while Phase 3 trials in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease continue. Price Action: AstraZeneca shares were up 2.74% at $168.44 and Amgen shares were up 2.20% at $434.30 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data. Read Also: CoreWeave Stock Down 56% From its Peak — HSBC Sees More Pain Ahead Image via Shutterstock