A novel approach to addressing serious asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attacks may prove to be a significant advancement and marks the first substantial development in treatment in 50 years, according to researchers, reports RTE.
Administering an injection to patients has shown to be more effective than the standard practice of using steroid tablets and reduces the requirement for additional treatment by 30%, as per a study.
The research included 158 participants who were observed for three months following an exacerbation.
The drug known as Benralizumab is not yet available for general use, and experts indicate that a much larger clinical trial is necessary to confirm any benefits, reports RTE.
This forthcoming larger trial is set to commence next year and is expected to span two years, aiming to assess the drug’s cost-effectiveness.
Benralizumab is a monoclonal antibody designed to target specific white blood cells, known as eosinophils, to decrease lung inflammation.
Currently, it is utilized as a recurrent treatment for severe asthma at a lower dosage, but recent clinical trials have demonstrated that a higher single dose may be highly effective when administered during a flare-up, reports RTE.
The results, published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, involved 158 individuals who required hospitalization due to their asthma or COPD attack (COPD encompasses a range of lung disorders that lead to breathing issues).
Patients underwent a rapid blood test to determine the type of attack they were experiencing, with those having an “eosinophilic exacerbation” attributable to eosinophils eligible for treatment, reports RTE.
Approximately 50% of asthma attacks are classified as eosinophilic exacerbations, as are 30% of attacks related to COPD, according to the researchers.
The clinical trial, which was led by King’s College London and conducted at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, involved randomly assigning patients into three groups.
One group received the benralizumab injection alongside placebo tablets, another group was given standard care (prednisolone steroids at 30mg daily for five days) and a placebo injection, while the third group received both the benralizumab injection and steroids, reports RTE.
After 28 days, participants who received benralizumab experienced improved respiratory symptoms, including cough, wheeze, breathlessness, and sputum production.
Furthermore, after 90 days, there were four times fewer individuals in the benralizumab group who experienced treatment failure compared to those receiving steroids, reports RTE.
The administration of the benralizumab injection also demonstrated a longer duration before treatment failure, which resulted in fewer visits to a general practitioner or hospital for the patients, as indicated by the researchers.
Additionally, individuals reported an enhanced quality of life under the new treatment regimen, reports RTE.
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