Researchers have developed the first new treatment in 50 years for asthma attacks. This is being called a ‘game changer’ for patients.
The study conducted by King’s College London concluded that an injection given to asthmatics and those with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), during certain attacks, is 30% more effective than current treatment, which involves steroid tablets. This reduces the need for additional treatment by 30%.
Scientists have concluded that the research, , published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine could “game-change” for millions with COPD and asthma around the globe.
In the UK, it is estimated that 4 people will die from COPD and 85 people will die from asthma. Asthma costs the NHS £5.9bn per year.
The injection is used to treat ‘eosinophilic Exacerbations,’ which are symptoms like wheezing or coughing due to inflammation caused by high levels of eosinophils, a type of white cell.
The KCL team reported that eosinophilic symptoms account for 30% of COPD flare ups and 50% of asthma attacks.
In some cases, they can worsen and cause irreversible lung damage. In the UK, there are around two million exacerbations or attacks of this kind each year.
Since more than 50 year, the treatment of this type of severe asthma is largely steroid-based.
Prednisolone, a type of steroid that can reduce inflammation of the lungs, has severe side effects such as osteoporosis and diabetes.
Researchers have also noted that many patients do not respond to treatment, and may need to be treated with repeated courses of steroid medication, or rehospitalised. Some can even die in 90 days.
The results of the phase 2 clinical “ABRA” study, sponsored by the University of Oxford and led by KCL, revealed that the monoclonal antibodies benralizamab and nivolumab can be used in emergency situations to reduce the need for additional treatment and hospitalisations.
The trial involved Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Benralizamab, a drug used to treat severe asthma, is available today. In the ABRA trial, it was found that a single injection at the site of exacerbation is more effective than steroid tablet.
Researchers randomly assigned people who were at high-risk of asthma or COPD attacks into three groups: one group received standard care (prednisolone 30-mg daily for 5 days) with dummy injection, another group received standard care and dummy injection, and the third was given both standard care and benralizumab.
Benralizumab was found to improve respiratory symptoms such as cough, wheeze and breathlessness after 28 days. Four times less people failed treatment in the benralizumab-treated group after 90 days compared to those who received standard care using prednisolone.
The treatment with benralizumab took longer to fail. This meant that there were fewer episodes where patients had to visit a doctor or hospital. Asthma and COPD patients also reported an improvement in their quality of life.
This could be a game changer for people who suffer from asthma and COPD. The treatment for COPD and asthma exacerbations has not changed for fifty years, despite the fact that they cause 3.8 million deaths worldwide each year,” said Professor Mona Bafadhel from King’s Centre for Lung Health.
Benralizumab, a drug that is safe and effective for severe asthma, has been used in the past to treat it. We have used the drug differently – when an asthma attack is occurring – to demonstrate that it is more effective than the steroid tablet treatment, which was the only option available at the time.
The ABRA study has made a major breakthrough in the field of asthma and COPD. We found that targeting high-risk patients with very specific treatment and the right level inflammation is much more effective than guessing the treatment they need.
