Allergen immunotherapy and biologics combo effective in managing and preventing allergic asthma: Study

A new study published in the journal of Clinical and Experimental Allergy showed that the combination of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) with biologics provides extremely promising new therapy methods for the management of allergic asthma in individuals with severe asthma or other safety concerns.

Over 350 million people throughout the globe suffer from asthma that causes 0.4 million deaths annually and is becoming increasingly common. In order to provide individualized treatments, the so-called "asthma endotypes" have been defined in light of the disease's complexity and heterogeneity. There are two main subtypes of asthma namely Th2-low, also known as type 2-low or "non-type 2 asthma," and Th2-high, often known as type 2-high asthma or simply "type 2 asthma." In addition to the differences between type 2 and non-type 2 asthma, the latter includes eosinophilic and/or allergic asthma.

Biological treatments have helped some uncontrolled asthmatic patients in recent decades, particularly the ones with allergic asthma. However, not all of the unmet requirements left by traditional pharmacotherapy are covered by biologics. It is also important to highlight that neither biological treatments nor traditional medication have the ability to alter illness. Because of its disease-modifying immunological effects, allergen immunotherapy is a vital part of the treatment arsenal against allergic asthma.

This study initially examined how traditional pharmacotherapy is used to treat asthma and noted the shortcomings of this approach in treating more severe cases of the condition. They then discussed how biological treatments may be used to control the latter and what requirements they have yet to address. The advantages of allergen immunotherapy, either alone or in conjunction with traditional pharmacotherapy and/or biological therapy in the treatment of allergic asthma from both a preventative and therapeutic standpoint were finally reviewed, adhering to the approach outlined in Data S1.

The study found that the sole disease-modifying method for treating allergies is AIT. Numerous studies demonstrate its advantages in treating and controlling asthma, including RDBPC clinical trials. In the individuals with allergic rhinitis, it can stop the condition from developing into allergic asthma. When allergic asthma has been diagnosed, AIT can either help the patient or at least stop the problem from getting worse. As a result of its conjunction with biological therapy, there is a growing chance that more patients may benefit from its effects. Overall, allergen immunotherapy treats illness by targeting IgE-mediated allergies that provides benefits which extend beyond symptomatic relief.

Reference:

Batard, T., Taillé, C., Guilleminault, L., Bozek, A., Floch, V. B., Pfaar, O., Canonica, W. G., Akdis, C., Shamji, M. H., & Mascarell, L. (2024). Allergen Immunotherapy for the Prevention and Treatment of Asthma. In Clinical & Experimental Allergy. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.14575