British drugmaker AstraZeneca said that its ZEPHYR 1 study of benralizumab showed positive results in asthma treatment demonstrating that the exacerbation rates fell 48 percent for inpatient hospitalisation,  53 percent for emergency department (ED) visits, and 59 percent for outpatient settings. The company highlighted the finding that the initiation of benralizumab also reduced the average oral corticosteroid (OCS) dosage from 1398 mg to 630 mg, along with a 32 percent reduction in OCS use.