A new monoclonal antibody treatment, benralizumab, offers hope for the millions living with severe asthma. This targeted therapy could significantly reduce the need for high-dose steroid treatments, which carry significant health risks.
Affecting around 5% of asthma patients, severe asthma causes debilitating symptoms like chest tightness, coughing, and anxiety. High-dose steroids are the mainstay of treatment, but they come with serious side effects like diabetes, osteoporosis, and adrenal suppression.
Benralizumab works differently. By targeting specific immune cells called eosinophils, it effectively reduces inflammation without the harmful side effects of steroids.
A recent clinical trial involving over 200 patients showed remarkable results. A staggering 92% of participants were able to safely reduce their steroid intake, with over 60% completely eliminating their dependence on them.
This breakthrough offers a safer and potentially life-changing alternative for severe asthma sufferers, improving their quality of life and reducing the long-term health risks associated with steroid use.
Professor David Jackson, the head of the Severe Asthma Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' and a Professor of Respiratory Medicine at King's College London, spearheaded the research that was published in The Lancet.
Professor Jackson said, "Biological therapies such as benralizumab have revolutionized severe asthma care in many ways, and the results of this study show for the first time that steroid-related harm can be avoided for the majority of patients using this therapy."
