Reslizumab Treatment for Moderate to Severe Asthma with Elevated Blood Eosinophil Levels

Reslizumab for inadequately controlled asthma with elevated blood eosinophil counts: results from two multicentre, parallel, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials

Elevated numbers of blood eosinophils are a risk factor for asthma exacerbations. Reslizumab is a humanised anti-interleukin 5 monoclonal antibody that disrupts eosinophil maturation and promotes programmed cell death. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of reslizumab in patients with inadequately controlled, moderate-to-severe asthma.We did two duplicate, multicentre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials. Both trials enrolled patients with asthma aged 12-75 years (from 128 clinical research centres in study 1 and 104 centres in study 2) from Asia, Australia, North America, South America, South Africa, and Europe, whose asthma was inadequately c…

Reductions in Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients with Oral Corticosteroid-Dependent Asthma Treated with Tezepelumab

Care pathways for the selection of a biologic in severe asthma.

Physicians need care pathways to select a biologic in type 2 severe asthma (omalizumab, mepolizumab, reslizumab) http://ow.ly/pygw30gB7Bv

Reslizumab for uncontrolled eosinophilic asthma in patients who experienced a single exacerbation in the previous year: sub-analysis of two phase 3 trials

Background: Reslizumab (RES), a humanized anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody, has been demonstrated to significantly reduce the risk of clinical asthma exacerbation (CAE), and improve lung function, asthma symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in patients (pts) with inadequately controlled eosinophilic asthma (ICEA) and ≥1 CAE in the prior 12 mos despite standard of care therapy (Castro et al., Lancet Respir Med 2015; 3:355-366). Aims/Objectives: To assess the efficacy of RES in a subgroup of pts with ICEA who experienced only 1 CAE in the 12 mos prior to trial enrolment. Methods: This was a post-hoc analysis of the two duplicate 52-wk, placebo (PBO)-controlled phase 3 trials of RES (3 mg/…

Eosinophilic and Noneosinophilic Asthma

Background Phenotypic characteristics of patients with eosinophilic and noneosinophilic asthma are not well characterized in global, real-life severe asthma cohorts. Research Question What is the prevalence of eosinophilic and noneosinophilic phenotypes in the population with severe asthma, and can these phenotypes be differentiated by clinical and biomarker variables? Study Design and Methods This was an historical registry study. Adult patients with severe asthma and available blood eosinophil count (BEC) from 11 countries enrolled in the International Severe Asthma Registry (January 1, 2015-September 30, 2019) were categorized according to likelihood of eosinophilic phenotype using a pre…

Effective Management of Severe Asthma with Biologic Medications in Adult Patients: A Literature Review and International Expert Opinion

International audience; Severe asthma often remains uncontrolled despite effective treatments and evidence-based guidelines. A group of global experts in asthma and biologic medications from nine countries considered the most relevant clinical variables to manage severe asthma in adult patients and guide treatment choice. The resulting recommendations address the investigation of biomarker levels (blood eosinophil count along with fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide [FeNO]), clinical features (oral corticosteroid [OCS] dependency, specific comorbid disease entities associated with severe type 2 asthma), and safety considerations. Current evidence suggests that biomarkers, inclu…

Respiratory manifestations of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss)

The respiratory manifestations of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) have not been studied in detail.In this retrospective multicentre study, EGPA was defined by asthma, eosinophilia and at least one new onset extra-bronchopulmonary organ manifestation of disease.The study population included 157 patients (mean±sd age 49.4±14.1 years), with a mean±sd blood eosinophil count of 7.4±6.4×109 L−1 at diagnosis. There was a mean±sd of 11.8±18.2 years from the onset of asthma to the diagnosis of EGPA, of 1.4±8.4 years from the first onset of peripheral eosinophilia to the diagnosis of EGPA, and of 7.4±6.4 years from EGPA diagnosis to the final visit. Despite inhaled and oral corti…