scholarly journals Mepolizumab effectiveness and identification of super-responders in severe asthma

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1902420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin S. Harvey ◽  
David Langton ◽  
Constance Katelaris ◽  
Sean Stevens ◽  
Claude S. Farah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Asthma ◽  
Real World ◽  
Rate Ratio ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
Symptom Control ◽  
Blood Eosinophil ◽  
Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Asthma Control Questionnaire ◽  
Peripheral Blood Eosinophil ◽  
Severe Eosinophilic Asthma

Severe asthma is a high-burden disease. Real-world data on mepolizumab in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma is needed to assess whether the data from randomised controlled trials are applicable in a broader population.The Australian Mepolizumab Registry (AMR) was established with an aim to assess the use, effectiveness and safety of mepolizumab for severe eosinophilic asthma in Australia.Patients (n=309) with severe eosinophilic asthma (median age 60 years, 58% female) commenced mepolizumab. They had poor symptom control (median Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ)-5 score of 3.4), frequent exacerbations (median three courses of oral corticosteroids (OCS) in the previous 12 months), and 47% required daily OCS. Median baseline peripheral blood eosinophil level was 590 cells·µL−1. Comorbidities were common: allergic rhinitis 63%, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease 52%, obesity 46%, nasal polyps 34%.Mepolizumab treatment reduced exacerbations requiring OCS compared with the previous year (annualised rate ratio 0.34 (95% CI 0.29–0.41); p<0.001) and hospitalisations (rate ratio 0.46 (95% CI 0.33–0.63); p<0.001). Treatment improved symptom control (median ACQ-5 reduced by 2.0 at 6 months), quality of life and lung function. Higher blood eosinophil levels (p=0.003) and later age of asthma onset (p=0.028) predicted a better ACQ-5 response to mepolizumab, whilst being male (p=0.031) or having body mass index ≥30 (p=0.043) predicted a lesser response. Super-responders (upper 25% of ACQ-5 responders, n=61, 24%) had a higher T2 disease burden and fewer comorbidities at baseline.Mepolizumab therapy effectively reduces the significant and long-standing disease burden faced by patients with severe eosinophilic asthma in a real-world setting.

scholarly journals Precision medicine applications for severe asthma

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 117-135
Author(s):  
Orit Gourgy Hacohen ◽  
Shai Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Precision Medicine ◽  
Severe Asthma ◽  
Oral Corticosteroid ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Blood Eosinophil ◽  
Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Severe Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
New Treatment

Asthma is a heterogeneous condition in which multiple pathological pathways manifest with similar symptoms. Severe asthma (SA) is challenging to manage and comprises a significant health and economic burden. Many studies have been conducted in an attempt to define different clinical phenotypes that translate into biological endotypes, with the goal of tailoring treatment based on precision medicine. This review summarizes the current evidence for the treatments of SA, and in particular, the biologic treatments that are currently available: omalizumab, mepolizumab, reslizumab, benralizumab and dupilumab. We found only limited high-quality direct evidence regarding treatment with anti-IgE (omalizumab) in SA patients. Data regarding anti-interleukin (IL)-5 (mepolizumab, reslizumab and benralizumab) showed beneficial effects in severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) with different levels of blood eosinophils used in clinical trials. Dupilumab, anti-IL-4/IL-13, was shown to be effective in SEA and is the only agent currently FDA-approved for the indication of oral corticosteroid dependent asthma, regardless of the blood eosinophil level. This review also summarizes the existing knowledge regarding the characteristics of the patient who may respond to the different therapies. As of today, more studies are needed to better understand the diverse mechanisms that underlie SA phenotypes. We have not yet adequately reached the goal of precision medicine. Additional studies are necessary in order to find novel surrogate markers that can predict the response to a specific biologic therapy, especially in patients who are oral corticosteroid dependent. In addition, efforts must be invested into research looking for new treatment options for patients with non-type-2 inflammation SA. Statement of novelty: we review the current evidence regarding tailored treatment therapies in SA, with a particular focus on the knowledge regarding patient selection for specific biologic treatments.

scholarly journals Efficacy of mepolizumab for patients with severe asthma and eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takanori Numata ◽  
Katsutoshi Nakayama ◽  
Hirofumi Utsumi ◽  
Kenji Kobayashi ◽  
Haruhiko Yanagisawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Rhinosinusitis ◽  
Severe Asthma ◽  
Predictive Factors ◽  
Systemic Corticosteroid ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Blood Eosinophil ◽  
Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Severe Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Eosinophilic Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Abstract Background Several major randomized control studies have demonstrated that mepolizumab, an anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody, is effective for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma who show exacerbation or require systemic corticosteroid maintenance therapy. However, the predictive factors of the response to mepolizumab other than blood eosinophil count are unclear in clinical practice. Objective To elucidate the predictive factors of the response to mepolizumab for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. Methods From July 2016 to December 2017, 28 patients with severe asthma received mepolizumab in our hospital. To determine the predictive factors, we retrospectively evaluated patient characteristics, comorbidities, biomarkers, pulmonary function, maintenance dose of systemic corticosteroids and number of exacerbations. Results The response rate to mepolizumab treatment was 70% (19/27; one pregnant woman was excluded from analysis). Compared with 11 patients without eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS), 16 patients with ECRS showed significantly improved systemic corticosteroid-sparing effects [− 71.3 ± 37.0% vs − 10.7 ± 20.1%, P = 0.006], change from baseline FeNO [− 19 ± 57 (%) vs 30 ± 77 (%), P = 0.023] and symptoms [14 patients (88%) vs five patients (45%), P = 0.033]. ECRS was identified as a predictive factor of the response to mepolizumab in a multivariate logistic regression analysis [odds ratio = 22.5, 95% CI (1.5–336), P = 0.024]. Of the eight patients previously administered omalizumab, five responded to mepolizumab. Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B IgE results were negative in 80% of responders (P = 0.14). Conclusion Both groups showed improved symptom scores and a decreased number of exacerbations. Mepolizumab substantially improved the clinical variables of patients with eosinophilic asthma complicated with ECRS.

Diagnosis and Management of Severe Asthma

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (01) ◽  
pp. 091-099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kian Fan Chung
Keyword(s):  
Severe Asthma ◽  
Inhaled Corticosteroids ◽  
Immunoglobulin E ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Blood Eosinophil ◽  
Exhaled Breath ◽  
Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Severe Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Asthma Patients ◽  
Long Acting

AbstractSevere therapy-resistant asthma has been defined as “asthma which requires treatment with high dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) plus a second controller (and/or systemic corticosteroids) to prevent it from becoming ‘uncontrolled’ or which remains ‘uncontrolled’ despite this therapy”. Patients who usually present with ‘difficult-to-treat asthma’ should first be assessed to determine whether he/she has asthma with the exclusion of other diagnoses and if so, whether the asthma can be classified as severe therapy-resistant. This necessitates an assessment of adherence to medications, confounding factors, and comorbidities. Increasingly, management of severe therapy-resistant asthma will be helped by the determination of phenotypes to optimize responses to existing and new therapies. Severe asthma patients are usually on a combination of high dose ICS and long-acting β-agonist (LABA) and, in addition, are often on a maintenance dose of oral corticosteroids. Phenotyping can be informed by measuring blood eosinophil counts and the level of nitric oxide in exhaled breath, and the use of sputum granulocytic counts. Severe allergic asthma and severe eosinophilic asthma are two defined phenotypes for which there are efficacious targeted biologic therapies currently available, namely anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) and anti-interleukin (IL)-5 antibodies, respectively. Further progress will be realized with the definition of noneosinophilic or non-T2 phenotypes. It will be important for patients with severe asthma to be ultimately investigated and managed in specialized severe asthma centers.

scholarly journals Eosinophils Target Therapy for Severe Asthma: Critical Points

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Brussino ◽  
E. Heffler ◽  
C. Bucca ◽  
S. Nicola ◽  
G. Rolla
Keyword(s):  
Severe Asthma ◽  
Eosinophil Count ◽  
Inhaled Corticosteroids ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Blood Eosinophil ◽  
Moderate Increase ◽  
Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Peripheral Blood Eosinophil ◽  
Blood Eosinophil Count

Asthma is a chronic and heterogeneous disease, which is defined as severe disease whenever it requires treatment with a high dose of inhaled corticosteroids plus a second controller and/or systemic corticosteroids to prevent it from becoming ‘‘uncontrolled’’ or if it remains ‘‘uncontrolled’’ despite this therapy. Severe asthma is a heterogeneous condition consisting of phenotypes such as eosinophilic asthma, which is characterized by sputum eosinophilia, associated with mild to moderate increase in blood eosinophil count, frequently adult-onset, and associated with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps in half of the cases. Eosinophilic asthma is driven by T2 inflammation, characterized, among the others, by interleukin-5 production. IL-5 plays a key role in the differentiation, survival, migration, and activation of eosinophils, and it has become an appealing therapeutic target for eosinophilic asthma. In recent years two monoclonal antibodies (mepolizumab and reslizumab) directed against IL-5 and one monoclonal antibody directed against the alpha-subunit of the IL-5 receptor (benralizumab) have been developed. All these IL-5 target drugs have been shown to reduce the number of exacerbation in patients with severe asthma selected on the basis of peripheral blood eosinophil count. There are still a number of unresolved issues related to the anti-IL5 strategy in eosinophilic asthma, which are here reviewed. These issues include the effects of such therapy on airway obstruction and asthmatic symptoms, the level of baseline eosinophils that predicts a response to treatment, the relationship between blood and airway eosinophilia, and, perhaps most importantly, how to elucidate the pathogenetic role played by eosinophils in the individual patient with severe eosinophilic asthma.

scholarly journals The effectiveness of benralizumab in the treatment of the eosinophilic phenotype of severe asthma in real clinical practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 628-634
Author(s):  
Olga N. Titova ◽  
Natalia A. Kuzubova ◽  
Daria B. Sklyarova ◽  
Maria A. Petrova
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Asthma Control ◽  
Severe Asthma ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Current Therapy ◽  
Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Asthma Control Questionnaire ◽  
Severe Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Night And Day ◽  
Real Clinical Practice

To evaluate the effectiveness of benralizumab in patients with the eosinophilic phenotype of severe asthma in real clinical practice after a year of therapy.Methods. During Benralizumab therapy, 13 patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (average age – 55.44 ± 7.18 years old) were examined twice: before the treatment and after 1 year of benralizumab therapy. The assessment included collection of complaints, medical history, current therapy, Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-5) test, absolute blood count of eosinophils, spirometry.Results. All patients initially had pronounced eosinophilia of 577.5 ± 356.4 cells/μl. After 1 year of using benralizumab, the eosinophil count decreased by 96.15%. During therapy, the ACQ-5 index decreased from 1.63 ± 0.62 to 0.73 ± 0.41 in the study patients, which corresponded to the achievement of asthma control. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) increased by 23 %. The number of exacerbations decreased by 58.09%. 12 (92.31%) patients were on oral corticosteroids (OCS) (10 ± 2.17 mg of prednisolone daily) before benralizumab therapy. All subjects noted a decrease in night and day symptoms over time and were able to reduce the use of OCS. 5 (38.46%) patients achieved complete elimination of daily OCS use, 7 (53.84%) patients were able to reduce their daily OCS dose.Conclusion. Benralizumab therapy as an add-on maintenance treatment in patients with eosinophilic phenotype of severe asthma contributes to a significant decrease in peripheral blood eosinophils, which mediates an improvement in asthma control, an increase in FEV1, a reduction in the number of exacerbations, and a decrease in the need for the OCS usage. Careful monitoring of long-term adverse events is necessary during treatment with benralizumab.

scholarly journals Management of severe asthma: a European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society guideline

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 1900588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Holguin ◽  
Juan Carlos Cardet ◽  
Kian Fan Chung ◽  
Sarah Diver ◽  
Diogenes S. Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Asthma ◽  
Task Force ◽  
American Thoracic Society ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
Blood Eosinophil ◽  
European Respiratory Society ◽  
Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Severe Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
Meta Analyses

This document provides clinical recommendations for the management of severe asthma. Comprehensive evidence syntheses, including meta-analyses, were performed to summarise all available evidence relevant to the European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society Task Force's questions. The evidence was appraised using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach and the results were summarised in evidence profiles. The evidence syntheses were discussed and recommendations formulated by a multidisciplinary Task Force of asthma experts, who made specific recommendations on six specific questions. After considering the balance of desirable and undesirable consequences, quality of evidence, feasibility, and acceptability of various interventions, the Task Force made the following recommendations: 1) suggest using anti-interleukin (IL)-5 and anti-IL-5 receptor α for severe uncontrolled adult eosinophilic asthma phenotypes; 2) suggest using a blood eosinophil cut-point ≥150 μL−1 to guide anti-IL-5 initiation in adult patients with severe asthma; 3) suggest considering specific eosinophil (≥260 μL−1) and exhaled nitric oxide fraction (≥19.5 ppb) cut-offs to identify adolescents or adults with the greatest likelihood of response to anti-IgE therapy; 4) suggest using inhaled tiotropium for adolescents and adults with severe uncontrolled asthma despite Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) step 4–5 or National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) step 5 therapies; 5) suggest a trial of chronic macrolide therapy to reduce asthma exacerbations in persistently symptomatic or uncontrolled patients on GINA step 5 or NAEPP step 5 therapies, irrespective of asthma phenotype; and 6) suggest using anti-IL-4/13 for adult patients with severe eosinophilic asthma and for those with severe corticosteroid-dependent asthma regardless of blood eosinophil levels. These recommendations should be reconsidered as new evidence becomes available.

scholarly journals Mepolizumab improves clinical outcomes in patients with severe asthma and comorbid conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter G. Gibson ◽  
Charlene M. Prazma ◽  
Geoffrey L. Chupp ◽  
Eric S. Bradford ◽  
Mark Forshag ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Asthma Control ◽  
Severe Asthma ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Comorbid Conditions ◽  
Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Asthma Control Questionnaire ◽  
Severe Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
St George's Respiratory Questionnaire ◽  
Clinically Significant

Abstract Background Comorbidities can complicate the management of severe asthma; therefore, the presence of comorbid conditions or traits often need to be considered when considering treatment options for patients with severe asthma. The aim of this analysis is to investigate the efficacy of mepolizumab in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma and comorbidities. Methods This was a post hoc analysis (GSK ID:209140) of data from the Phase IIb/III studies DREAM, MENSA, SIRIUS, and MUSCA. Patients aged ≥ 12 years with severe eosinophilic asthma were randomized to: mepolizumab 750, 250, or 75 mg intravenously or placebo (DREAM); mepolizumab 75 mg intravenously or 100 mg subcutaneously or placebo (MENSA); or mepolizumab 100 mg subcutaneously or placebo (SIRIUS and MUSCA) every 4 weeks for 24 weeks in SIRIUS and MUSCA, 32 weeks in MENSA or 52 weeks in DREAM. In this analysis the primary endpoint was the annual rate of clinically significant exacerbations; secondary endpoints were Asthma Control Questionnaire-5 score, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire total score, and pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s at study end. Subgroups were based on comorbidities at baseline. Results Overall, 1878 patients received placebo (n = 689) or mepolizumab (n = 1189). Across all comorbidity subgroups mepolizumab reduced the rate of clinically significant exacerbations by 44–68% versus placebo, improved Asthma Control Questionnaire-5 score by 0.27–0.59 points, and improved St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire total score by 5.0–11.6 points. Pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s was improved by 27.1–286.9 mL in all but one comorbidity subgroup, the diabetes mellitus subgroup. Conclusions Mepolizumab reduces exacerbations, and improves asthma control, health-related quality of life, and lung function in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma despite comorbid conditions, including upper respiratory conditions, psychopathologies, cardiovascular conditions, gastroesophageal reflux disease, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. Trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ DREAM, MEA112997/NCT01000506; MENSA, MEA115588/NCT01691521; SIRIUS, MEA115575/NCT01842607; MUSCA, 200862/NCT02281318.

scholarly journals Management of severe asthma: a European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society guideline

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-295
Author(s):  
F. Holguin ◽  
J. C. Cardet ◽  
K. F. Chung ◽  
S. Diver ◽  
D. S. Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Asthma ◽  
Task Force ◽  
American Thoracic Society ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
Blood Eosinophil ◽  
European Respiratory Society ◽  
Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Assessment Development ◽  
Severe Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Evaluation Approach

This document provides clinical recommendations for the management of severe asthma. Comprehensive evidence syntheses, including metaanalyses, were performed to summarise all available evidence relevant to the European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society Task Force’s questions. The evidence was appraised using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach and the results were summarised in evidence profiles. The evidence syntheses were discussed and recommendations formulated by a multidisciplinary Task Force of asthma experts, who made specific recommendations on six specific questions. After considering the balance of desirable and undesirable consequences, quality of evidence, feasibility, and acceptability of various interventions, the Task Force made the following recommendations:• suggest using anti-interleukin (IL)-5 and anti-IL-5 receptor α for severe uncontrolled adult eosinophilic asthma phenotypes;• suggest using a blood eosinophil cut-point ≥150 μL−1 to guide anti-IL-5 initiation in adult patients with severe asthma;• suggest considering specific eosinophil (≥260 μL−1) and exhaled nitric oxide fraction (≥19.5 ppb) cut-offs to identify adolescents or adults with the greatest likelihood of response to anti-IgE therapy;• suggest using inhaled tiotropium for adolescents and adults with severe uncontrolled asthma despite Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) step 4 – 5 or National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) step 5 therapies;• suggest a trial of chronic macrolide therapy to reduce asthma exacerbations in persistently symptomatic or uncontrolled patients on GINA step 5 or NAEPP step 5 therapies, irrespective of asthma phenotype;• suggest using anti-IL-4/13 for adult patients with severe eosinophilic asthma and for those with severe corticosteroid-dependent asthma regardless of blood eosinophil levels.These recommendations should be reconsidered as new evidence becomes available.

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