Comparison of the Clinical Efficacy of Salmeterol and Sustained-Release Tulobuterol (Patch) on Inadequately Controlled Asthma Patients on Inhaled Corticosteroids

Background: Dupilumab, an anti-IL-4 receptor a mAb, inhibits IL-4/IL-13 signaling, key drivers of type 2/TH2 immune diseases (eg, atopic/allergic disease). In a pivotal, phase 2b study (NCT01854047), dupilumab reduced severe exacerbations, improved lung function and quality of life, and was generally well tolerated in patients with uncontrolled persistent asthma despite using medium-to-high-dose inhaled corticosteroids plus long-acting b2-agonists. Objective: To examine dupilumabʼs effect on the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) total score and its allergic rhinitis (AR)-associated items in asthma patients with comorbid perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR). Methods: A post hoc analysis reporting data from the phase 2b study for the 200 and 300 mg every 2 week (q2w) doses under investigation in phase 3 (NCT02414854) was carried out. PAR was defined at study entry as a specific response to typical perennial antigens (IgE >0.35 Ku/L). Results: Overall, 241 (61%) patients had PAR. In asthma patients with PAR, dupilumab 300 mg q2w versus placebo significantly improved SNOT-22 total score (least squares mean difference, 25.98; 95% CI, 210.45 to 21.51; P 5.009) and all 4 AR-associated symptoms evaluated (nasal blockage, 20.60; 95% CI, 20.96 to 20.25; runny nose, 20.67; 95% CI, 21.04 to 20.31; sneezing, 20.55; 95% CI, 20.89 to 20.21; postnasal discharge, 20.49; 95% CI, 20.83 to 20.16; all P < .01). Dupilumab 200 mg q2w demonstrated numerical, but not statistically significant, decreases in SNOT-22 total score (21.82; 95% CI, 26.46 to 2.83; P 5 .443 vs placebo) and in each ARassociated symptom. In patients without PAR, no differences were observed for these measures versus placebo. Conclusions: Dupilumab 300 mg q2w significantly improved AR-associated nasal symptoms in patients with uncontrolled persistent asthma and comorbid PAR.

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Adherence to corticosteroids and clinical outcomes in mepolizumab therapy for severe asthma

European Respiratory Journal ◽

10.1183/13993003.02259-2019 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 55 (5) ◽

pp. 1902259 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Gráinne d'Ancona ◽

Joanne Kavanagh ◽

Cris Roxas ◽

Linda Green ◽

Mariana Fernandes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Biologic Therapy ◽

Inhaled Corticosteroids ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Good Adherence ◽

Eosinophilic Asthma ◽

Exacerbation Rate ◽

Asthmatic Patients ◽

Severe Eosinophilic Asthma ◽

Asthma Patients

IntroductionInhaled corticosteroids (ICS) achieve disease control in the majority of asthmatic patients, although adherence to prescribed ICS is often poor. Patients with severe eosinophilic asthma may require treatment with oral corticosteroids (OCS) and/or biologic agents such as mepolizumab. It is unknown if ICS adherence changes on, or alters clinical response to, biologic therapy.MethodsWe examined ICS adherence and clinical outcomes in OCS-dependent severe eosinophilic asthma patients who completed 1 year of mepolizumab therapy. The ICS medicines possession ratio (MPR) was calculated (the number of doses of ICS issued on prescription/expected number) for the year before and the year after biologic initiation. Good adherence was defined as MPR >0.75, intermediate 0.74–0.51 and poor <0.5. We examined outcomes after 12 months of biologic therapy, including OCS reduction and annualised exacerbation rate (AER), stratified by adherence to ICS on mepolizumab.ResultsOut of 109 patients commencing mepolizumab, 91 who had completed 12 months of treatment were included in the final analysis. While receiving mepolizumab, 68% had good ICS adherence, with 16 (18%) having poor ICS adherence. ICS use within the cohort remained similar before (MPR 0.81±0.32) and during mepolizumab treatment (0.82±0.32; p=0.78). Patients with good adherence had greater reductions in OCS dose (median (interquartile range) OCS reduction 100 (74–100)% versus 60 (27–100)%; p=0.031) and exacerbations (AER change −2.1±3.1 versus 0.3±2.5; p=0.011) than those with poor adherence. Good ICS adherence predicted the likelihood of stopping maintenance OCS (adjusted OR 3.19, 95% CI 1.02–9.94; p=0.045).ConclusionICS nonadherence is common in severe eosinophilic asthma patients receiving mepolizumab, and is associated with a lesser reduction in OCS requirements and AER.

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Diagnosis and Management of Severe Asthma

Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0037-1607391 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (01) ◽

pp. 091-099 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

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.

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