Mepolizumab found to be effective treatment option for patients with eosinophilic asthma

New research trials have found that mepolizumab is a safe and effective treatment option for the subgroup of patients with eosinophilic asthma.

The researchers, from the University Hospitals of Leicester in England, also found that the monoclonal antibody could allow safe withdrawal of corticosteroids. The antibody drug was able to reduce exacerbations in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma, researchers found, after randomised trials of patients.

Ian Pavord, of University Hospitals of Leicester in England, and colleagues reported in The Lancet: "The reported effects are clinically important and suggest that neutralizing interleukin-5 addresses a major unmet medical need in a population with substantial morbidity and healthcare costs."

Mepolizumab works against interleukin-5 to selectively inhibit eosinophilic airway inflammation. This could efficiently help people with more severe asthma, the researchers believe, and the tests seem to reflect the same results, with a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 621 patients aged 12 to 74 who had a history of recurrent, severe asthma exacerbations and signs of eosinophilic inflammation showing positive data. 

The results showed that exacerbations requiring either hospital admission or a visit to an emergency department were reduced in all three mepolizumab groups compared with placebo. Additionally, the drug significantly reduced blood eosinophil counts compared with placebo, and it also reduced sputum eosinophil counts in a subgroup of patients who had sputum induction.

There were no serious life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, but infusion-related reactions were reported. The overall frequency of serious adverse events was similar across all four groups, with the most common being headache and nasopharyngitis.

The researchers concluded that mepolizumab is "potentially an important advance because it seems to be a safe and effective treatment option for the subgroup of patients with eosinophilic asthma and might allow safe withdrawal of corticosteroids."

The study was supported by GlaxoSmithKline and published in medical journal the Lancet.