Scientists say a new pill could radically change the way asthma patients are treated in future.

More than one person a week on average dies from asthma in Ireland, with nearly half a million people diagnosed with the disease here.

This new drug called Fevipiprant has proven successful in reducing the risk of an attack.

Professor Chris Brightling, who has been involved in the trial at the University of Leicester in the UK, said: “It improved symptoms, it improved the breathing tests, it improved inflammation.

“It also improved the damage that we see in the lining of the airway, and there were also come improvements on the CT scans.

“So this combination of improvements is really quite striking.”