What is it about?
In Denmark, 58 % of patients with eosinophilic asthma on biologics that target interleukin 5, are complete responders to treatment meaning that they become completely free from exacerbations and use of maintenance oral corticosteroids. Patients who achieve a complete response also have a better response in lung function and symptom score that those who do not achieve a complete response. A complete response to the treatment is predicted by higher age at onset of asthma, fewer symptoms and no use of maintenance oral corticosteroids before treatment as well as high blood eosinophils, a marker of eosinophilic asthma.
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Why is it important?
Our findings are important as they highlight that the majority of patients have an excellent response to anti-IL5 biologics and that these patients not only become free from exacerbations and maintenance oral corticosteroid use but also experience significant improvements in symptom control and lung function. It is therefore important to identify these patients who will benefit from treatment.
Perspectives
Our study raises the question if patients should continue treatment indefinitely or if cessation or downtitration is possible. It also raises the question if more patients should be initiated on anti-Il5 biologics before they need maintenance oralcorticosteroids in order to improve treatment outcomes.
Marianne Baastrup Soendergaard
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Complete response to anti-interleukin-5 biologics in a real-life setting: results from the nationwide Danish Severe Asthma Register, ERJ Open Research, August 2022, European Respiratory Society (ERS),
DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00238-2022.
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