UK scientists have said millions of asthma patients could see their lives transformed within three years thanks to a game-changing new treatment.
Trial studies found that an antibody injection was significantly more effective in stopping attacks than current steroid treatments, given to patients when blue “response” inhalers are insufficient.
Known as Benralizumab, it reduced the need for additional treatment by almost a third (30 percent) in those suffering from severe asthma and attacks of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Experts say the treatment, which could be given at home or in GP surgeries at the scene of the attack, could reduce hospital admissions as well as the four deaths from asthma and 85 deaths from COPD each day in the UK.
They estimate that the treatment, which targets specific white blood cells to reduce lung inflammation, could be rolled out in the next two to three years if planned larger trials are successful.
Led by King’s College London, the trial involved 158 people who needed emergency treatment for a seizure at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
They were given a quick blood test to see that they were having an “eosinophilic exacerbation,” which involves a type of white blood cell and is responsible for half of asthma attacks and 30 percent of COPD attacks.
Patients were divided into three randomized groups and were given benralizumab injection and dummy tablets, the standard care steroid of prednisolone 30 mg daily for five days and a dummy injection, or both benralizumab injection and steroids.
Experts say the treatment, which could be given at home or in a GP surgery at the scene of the attack, could reduce hospital admissions as well as the four deaths from asthma and 85 deaths from COPD each day in the UK (archive image).
After 28 days, respiratory symptoms of cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, and sputum were found to improve in people taking benralizumab (file image)
After 28 days, respiratory symptoms of cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, and sputum were found to improve in people taking benralizumab.
And after 90 days, there were four times fewer people in the benralizumab group who “failed treatment” (classified as needing other treatment to get better, had more attacks, or died) compared to those who received steroids.
Treatment with benralizumab injection also took longer to stop working, meaning fewer visits to the GP or hospital for patients, according to findings published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Dr Richard Russell of King’s College London, co-author of the study, said: “I think this has the opportunity to completely change the landscape.”
‘We have to do it on a larger scale, but we are looking at a reasonable time frame and we could certainly be in a position in two and a half or three years, and I mean when we have these drugs available…’
While steroids like prednisolone can reduce inflammation in the lungs, they can have serious side effects such as diabetes and osteoporosis.
Benralizumab is currently given as a repeat treatment for severe asthma at low doses, but results show that single higher doses during attacks are an effective treatment.
Lead researcher Professor Mona Bafadhel, from King’s, said: “This could be a game-changer for people with asthma and COPD.”
‘Treatment for asthma and COPD exacerbations has not changed in 50 years, despite causing 3.8 million deaths a year worldwide combined.
‘Benralizumab is a safe and effective drug that is already used to control severe asthma.
“We have used the drug differently, at the time of an exacerbation, to show that it is more effective than steroid tablets, which is the only treatment currently available.”
AstraZeneca provided the drug for the study and funded the research, but was not involved in the design, execution, analysis or interpretation of the trial.
Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, welcomed the findings but said: “It is shocking that this is the first new treatment for those suffering from asthma and COPD attacks in 50 years, making it “indicating how desperately underfunded lung health research is.” is.’