The first new treatment for asthma attacks in 50 years is a drug already available—and it’s 4x more effective than steroid tablets.

Treatment for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which contributed to Sinead O'Connor's death last year, has been "stuck in the 20th century." But no longer, says Dr. Sanjay Ramakrishnan of the University of Western Australia,

The study, called the ABRA trial, was led by King’s College London researchers and published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. It found that Benralizumab reduced the need for further treatment in COPD patients by 30%. This is a big improvement compared to the current treatment, which relies on steroid tablets like prednisolone.