THE ESSENTIAL
- A study has shown that benralizumab, a monoclonal antibody, is more effective than standard steroid treatment for asthma attacks and severe COPD exacerbations.
- Administered during attacks, this injection reduces the need for subsequent treatments by 30% and improves respiratory symptoms and patients’ quality of life.
- Targeting inflammation caused by eosinophils, it offers a promising alternative to steroids, which cause serious side effects.
This is a major medical advance that could transform the treatment of asthma attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A targeted injection, tested in a clinical study by researchers at King’s College London, was found to be more effective than current treatments using steroid tablets, reducing the need for additional treatments for these respiratory conditions by 30%. chronicles. Explanations.
Improved symptoms of asthma attacks and COPD
Wheezing, chest tightness, coughing… Asthma attacks and exacerbations of COPD are not only debilitating but can also be fatal: every day in the United Kingdom, they kill four people with asthma and 85 others with COPD. They are also very widespread: an asthma attack occurs every ten seconds in this country.
Severe outbreaks, called exacerbations, are often caused by inflammation due to an overproduction of certain white blood cells, eosinophils. They represent up to 50% of asthma attacks and 30% of COPD flare-ups. Unfortunately, current treatments, including steroids like prednisolone, while effective, can cause serious side effects, such as diabetes or osteoporosis. Not to mention that they often fail to prevent recurrences or hospitalizations.
According to the new study, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicinethe solution could come from benralizumab, a monoclonal antibody already used to treat severe asthma, and which directly targets eosinophils. In a clinical trial, this drug was administered as a single injection to 158 patients during their severe seizures. Result: in just 28 days, their respiratory symptoms significantly improved, and after 90 days, the number of treatment failures was four times lower than that observed in patients who received standard treatment.
A treatment more effective than steroids
“Benralizumab represents a major breakthrough. This targeted treatment acts on high-risk patients, offering a more effective alternative to steroids”summarize the researchers in a press release. The study also showed an improvement in patients’ quality of life, a reduction in medical consultations and hospitalizations, and safety comparable to existing treatments. Benralizumab, by being administered urgently at home or in hospital, could thus transform the management of the most serious asthma and COPD attacks, “unchanged since the 20e century”at a time when these respiratory diseases cause millions of deaths worldwide each year.
