asthma

NICE has today published final draft guidance recommending GlaxoSmithKline’s Nucala (mepolizumab) as an add-on treatment option for severe refractory eosinophilic asthma, meaning around 8,500 more people will now be eligible for the treatment.

Severe eosinophilic asthma is a debilitating type of asthma which does not respond well enough to standard therapy. It has many distressing symptoms – including chronic sinus infections and serious asthma attacks – and affects people with higher counts of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell.

New findings have been revealed from an extension study of Sanofi’s interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) inhibitor Dupixent (dupilumab) in adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe asthma, demonstrating that the therapy’s benefits can be maintained for up to three years.

Around 2,200 participants were enrolled in three initial studies for Dupixent, receiving either the therapy or placebo for between 24 and 52 weeks.

Photo by Mikael Häggström, M.D.

The FDA has granted Lupin Ltd approval for their generic version of ProAir, which is used to prevent asthma symptoms and treat episodes of bronchospasm.

AstraZeneca took the opportunity at the American Thoracic Society 2020 Virtual International Conference to unveil positive new Phase 3b data on the efficacy of Fasenra (benralizumab) in the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma.

The company revealed that the therapy, in combination with standard of care, generated a reduction of 49% in the annual rate of asthma exacerbations 24 weeks after initial dosing compared to placebo in patients with baseline blood eosinophil counts of at least 150 cells per microlitre.

Photo by Doctor 4U

Researchers at the University of Buffalo have launched a study to see if the steroid treatment ciclesonide could be effective in treating the coronavirus.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) has called off its 2020 Annual Meeting that was schedule to take place in March in Philadelphia.

The AAAAI leadership had been meeting on a daily basis to assess the situation based on developments that were occurring. However, based on increasing numbers of COVID-19, including the first recorded case in Philadelphia, the leadership felt that even precautions weren’t enough to protect attendees of the event.

NICE, the NHS’ drug watchdog in England and Wales, has announced its decision not to recommend Sanofi and Regeneron’s IL-4 inhibitor Dupixent (dupilumab) in the treatment of severe asthma.

The indication specifically relates to patients with type 2 inflammation that does not respond adequately to the combination of high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and another maintenance therapy.

Novartis have said it is not going forward with a new asthma drug, as the treatement failed its Phase 3 trials.

The company announced that the drug, called fevipiprant, did not meet its clinically relevant threshold for reduction in rates of moderate-to-severe exacerbation compared to placebo, for either of the doses, when evaluated over a treatment period of one year.

This follows the results of another failed Phase 3 trial of fevipiprant, a few weeks back, in patients with mild-to-moderate asthma.

Novartis has made it known that its DP2 receptor antagonist fevipiprant failed at Phase 3 to show clinically relevant levels of efficacy in the treatment of inadequately controlled moderate-to-severe asthma.

The firm announced that neither the 150mg or 450mg therapy formulations reached the “clinically relevant threshold” in reducing the moderate-to-severe exacerbation rate over 52 weeks in asthma patients who had received inhaled mid-to-high dose corticosteroids (ICS) and at least one additional controller, compared to placebo.

Following closely on the heels of the news that its deal to merge Pfizer’s consumer health business with its own, GSK has announced that Nucala (mepolizumab) had secured approval from the European Commission for two new delivery methods for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma to self-administer.

The drug, which is the only monthly anti-IL5 biologic approved in Europe, was authorised in a pre-filled pen and a pre-filled safety syringe form, based on Phase 3a data from two real-world studies which indicated that 98% of patients and 100% of caregivers were able to successfully ad