Mepolizumab almost halves exacerbations in patients with severe asthma
The largest study of patients with severe asthma to date, published in the Lancet special issue on respiratory medicine, shows that those treated with the monoclonal antibody mepolizumab experienced an almost 50 percent reduction in severe exacerbations, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations compared with patients given placebo.
"Mepolizumab is potentially an important advance because it seems to be a safe and effective treatment option for patients with eosinophilic asthma that is associated with frequent flare-ups, and may reduce the need for conventional treatment with oral corticosteroids that can have serious side effects including osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and impaired growth in children", explains Ian Pavord from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS in the UK who led the research.
About a third of individuals with severe asthma have eosinophilic asthma in which inflammatory cells called eosinophils cause inflammation of lung airways. Mepolizumab works by blocking the production of eosinophils and has been shown to reduce the frequency of asthma exacerbations and the need for steroids in two small proof-of-concept studies.
In this study, 621 severe asthmatics with signs of eosinophilic inflammation from 81 centres in 13 countries were randomly assigned to either one of three doses of intravenous mepolizumab (75 mg, 250mg, or 750mg) or placebo on a monthly basis for 12 months.
After a year of treatment, the rate of clinically significant exacerbationsdefined as episodes requiring oral corticosteroids, admission or visit to emergency departmentin the mepolizumab groups was around half that of the placebo group (1.24, 1.46, and 1.15 vs 2.40 per patient per year).
Interestingly, the authors point out that although mepolizumab was effective in reducing exacerbations it failed to produce consistent improvements in symptoms or lung function, adding that, "a dissociation between symptoms and risk of exacerbations probably exists in patients with severe asthma and suggests that they represent separate aspects of the disorder that require different management strategies."
Overall, the frequency of serious adverse events was similar across the treatment groups, the most common being headache and nasopharyngitis (inflammation of the nasal passages). Three patients died during the study, but none of the deaths were related to treatment.
In a linked Comment, Simone Hashimoto and Elisabeth Bel from the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands say, "These effects are very promising, and raise hope for many patients for whom no effective drugs without significant adverse effects are available today."
They add, "The next step will be to assess the steroid-sparing effects of mepolizumab in a large population of patients who are oral corticosteroid-dependent
. It would be ideal if anti-IL-5 treatment not only reduced the number of exacerbations, but also facilitated the tapering of oral corticosteroids, thereby preventing serious steroid-induced side effects."
More information: www.thelancet.com/… 8-X/abstract
Journal reference:
The Lancet
Provided by
Lancet
-
Treatment for mild asthma leads to improved lung function
Mar 10, 2008 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Risk factors for an exacerbation-prone asthma phenotype
May 20, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Internet monitoring strategy for severe asthma patients shown to be effective
May 17, 2010 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Asthma exacerbation and large doses of inhaled corticosteroids
Oct 06, 2010 |
not rated yet |
0
-
New treatment reduces severity of asthma attacks in preschoolers
Jan 22, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Motion perception revisited: High Phi effect challenges established motion perception assumptions
Apr 23, 2013 |
3 / 5 (2) |
2
-
Anything you can do I can do better: Neuromolecular foundations of the superiority illusion (Update)
Apr 02, 2013 |
4.5 / 5 (11) |
5
-
The visual system as economist: Neural resource allocation in visual adaptation
Mar 30, 2013 |
5 / 5 (2) |
9
-
Separate lives: Neuronal and organismal lifespans decoupled
Mar 27, 2013 |
4.9 / 5 (8) |
0
-
Sizing things up: The evolutionary neurobiology of scale invariance
Feb 28, 2013 |
4.8 / 5 (10) |
14
-
what is the distance traveled
1 hour ago
-
Image of a Convex Lens Cut in Half Horizontally
5 hours ago
-
Ray tracing throught optical system of thick lenses
5 hours ago
-
Faraday's law on circular wire
6 hours ago
-
Specific Exergy vs Specific Flow Exergy
7 hours ago
-
The Durability of Bone: Long Falls
15 hours ago
- More from Physics Forums - Classical Physics
More news stories
New immune system discovered
(Medical Xpress)—A research team, led by Jeremy Barr, a biology post-doctoral fellow, unveils a new immune system that protects humans and animals from infection.
Immunology
May 20, 2013 |
4.8 / 5 (23) |
8
|
Vitamin D could provide new and effective treatments for asthma
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at King's College London have discovered that Vitamin D has the potential to significantly reduce the symptoms of asthma. The study, led by Professor Catherine Hawrylowicz from ...
Immunology
May 20, 2013 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
|
Immune protein could stop diabetes in its tracks
Melbourne researchers have identified an immune protein that has the potential to stop or reverse the development of type 1 diabetes in its early stages, before insulin-producing cells have been destroyed.
Immunology
May 20, 2013 |
5 / 5 (5) |
0
|
Stem-cell-based strategy boosts immune system in mice
Raising hopes for cell-based therapies, UC San Francisco researchers have created the first functioning human thymus tissue from embryonic stem cells in the laboratory. The researchers showed that, in mice, ...
Immunology
May 16, 2013 |
4.8 / 5 (5) |
0
|
Resistance to visceral leishmaniasis: New mechanisms involved
Researchers from CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier and IRD have elucidated new molecular mechanisms involved in resistance to visceral leishmaniasis, a serious parasitic infection. They have shown that dectin-1 ...
Immunology
May 16, 2013 |
not rated yet |
0
Researchers complete largest genetic sequencing study of human disease
Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have led the largest sequencing study of human disease to date, investigating the genetic basis of six autoimmune diseases.
Slowing the aging process—only with antibiotics
Swiss scientists reveal the mechanism responsible for aging hidden deep within mitochondria—and dramatically slow it down in worms by administering antibiotics to the young.
Research shows how immune system peacefully co-exists with 'good' bacteria
The human gut is loaded with commensal bacteria – "good" microbes that, among other functions, help the body digest food. The gastrointestinal tract contains literally trillions of such cells, and yet the ...
AIDS scientists optimistic of AIDS cure, for some
Top AIDS scientists were optimistic Wednesday of finding a cure for the disease that has claimed 30 million lives—but said it might not work for all people.
Fish oil supplements may help fight against Type 2 diabetes
Widely-used fish oil supplements modestly increase amounts of a hormone that is associated with lower risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to a study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of ...
Fish oil may help the heart beat mental stress
Why is fish oil good for the heart? A new study suggests that this omega 3 fatty acid-rich nutrient could blunt some cardiovascular effects of mental stress.