Mepolizumab demonstrates high clinical efficacy in both allergic and non-allergic Asthma

A new study revealed that mepolizumab is clinically very effective for the treatment of severe allergic and non-allergic phenotypes of asthma. The study results were published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma, Immunology. 

Mepolizumab's efficacy is based on eosinophilia, which serves as a basis for overlapping allergic and non-allergic asthma phenotypes. While the efficacy and safety of mepolizumab in severe asthma are well-known, there is limited data on the comparative effectiveness among allergic and non-allergic phenotypes of asthma. Hence researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare the impact of treatment with mepolizumab on patients with allergic versus non-allergic asthma.  

The study was carried out from January 2016–December 2019 using administrative claims data from Optum Research Database. Participants included patients having asthma for >=6 years and were initiated on mepolizumab. Both during the baseline period which was 12 months before mepolizumab initiation and during the follow-up period which is 12 after the initiation, asthma exacerbation rate and OCS use were assessed. Allergic status was ascertained using diagnosis codes, medication use and lab test results.