Mepolizumab reduces exacerbations and OCS use in severe asthma patients

Mepolizumab is an anti-IL-5 mAb approved for use as an add-on treatment in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma.

According to a new study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice shows that mepolizumab decreased exacerbations, OCS usage, and exacerbation-related medical expenses in a US Medicare population among patients with severe asthma.

A prevalent chronic respiratory condition known as asthma has a heavy medical and financial burden. Mepolizumab is an anti-IL-5 mAb that has been licensed for use in individuals with severe eosinophilic asthma as an additional medication. In order to determine the effect of mepolizumab commencement on oral corticosteroid usage, asthma exacerbation frequency, and asthma exacerbation-related expenses in a US Medicare population, Sanjay Sethi and colleagues performed this study.

Between January 2016 and December 2018, this retrospective cohort analysis of mepolizumab claims from asthma patients in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare database was conducted. The index date (the first mepolizumab claim) has to take place between January and December of 2017. The standard and follow-up periods were, respectively, the 12 months prior to and 12 months following the index. During the baseline and follow-up periods, outcomes included changes in the percentage of patients who experienced exacerbations (primary), OCS usage (secondary), and asthma exacerbation-related expenses.

The key findings of this study were:

The study identified 1,278 patients (mean age 67.9 years; 65% female) who were eligible for study inclusion and who had one or more prescription or administration claims for mepolizumab. 

The percentage of patients experiencing an asthma exacerbation decreased significantly (27%; P .0001) between the follow-up and baseline periods. 

Similar to this, fewer patients received OCS for asthma (16% relative reduction; P .0001), fewer patients used the drug chronically (5 mg/day or more; 48% relative reduction; P .0001), and there was a significant drop in the price of asthma exacerbations ($888; P =.0002) during the follow-up period compared to the baseline period.

Mepolizumab medication was expected to reduce the number of exacerbations, decrease the use of OCS, and lower healthcare expenses associated with exacerbation in this real-world research of Medicare participants. This research offers practical information about the advantages of mepolizumab as an additional asthma therapy for Medicare recipients.

Reference: 

Sethi, S., Bogart, M., Corbridge, T., Cyhaniuk, A., & Hahn, B. (2022). Impact of Mepolizumab on Exacerbations in the US Medicare Population. In The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2022.10.021