AstraZeneca's drug gets US FDA nod to treat lung disease patients

The US Food and Drug Administration approved AstraZeneca's drug to treat patients with a form of lung disease, the British drugmaker said on Friday.

The drug Breztri Aerosphere is being approved as a maintenance treatment for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death globally, AstraZeneca said.

Known as "smoker's lung", COPD is a progressively worsening and potentially deadly condition that affects more than 380 million people worldwide, primarily caused by smoking, but also by occupational hazards such as air pollution or chemical fumes.

The approval for AstraZeneca comes at a time when the British