London, UK: A new treatment for asthma attacks, the first in 50 years, has been hailed as a “game-changer” by both doctors and patients.
The drug, Benralizumab, outperformed traditional steroid tablets in clinical trials, proving to be far more effective in treating life-threatening breathing difficulties in people with severe asthma.
The monoclonal antibody specifically targets white blood cells that cause airway inflammation in eosinophilic asthma, which is responsible for half of all emergency flare-ups of the disease.
This same biological mechanism also contributes to severe exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
But researchers at King’s College London found asthma or COPD patients who were given an injection of the smart drug during their attack were less likely to suffer from wheezing, breathlessness and other symptoms four weeks later.
There was also a marked improvement in their quality of life, according to results published in the journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Steroid tablets have been the primary treatment for asthma flare-ups for decades, but they don’t always work, requiring repeated courses with risks of re-admission to the hospital and even death.
They can also lead to side effects like diabetes and osteoporosis. Benralizumab offers a promising alternative, stabilizing the disease with fewer side effects.
Dr. Samantha Walker of Asthma + Lung UK remarked that while the breakthrough is great news for people with lung conditions, it is also appalling that this is the first new treatment in 50 years, highlighting the severe underfunding of lung health research.
This breakthrough in asthma treatment marks a significant advancement in managing severe asthma and COPD, offering hope to millions of patients worldwide.