AstraZeneca has licensed global rights to UK-based Synairgen’s SNG001, an inhaled form of interferon beta (IFN-beta) that is being developed for treating respiratory tract viral infections in patients with severe asthma and which also has potential in other pulmonary diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. AstraZeneca plans to initiate a Phase IIa trial of the drug in patients with severe asthma in early 2015. The agreement represents another attempt by the company to bolster its pipeline in respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity, one of its three core therapeutic areas.