Stapokibart Reduces Size and Symptoms of Nasal Polyps in Severe Chronic Rhinosinusitis: JAMA
Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a debilitating inflammatory condition of the nasal passages characterized by mucosal swelling, airway obstruction, impaired sense of smell, and reduced quality of life. Current standard treatment involves daily intranasal corticosteroids, with some patients requiring systemic steroids or surgical intervention. However, recurrence rates remain high, and effective biologic therapies are increasingly being studied to address persistent disease burden.
A new randomized clinical trial published in JAMA has found that stapokibart, a monoclonal antibody targeting type 2 inflammatory pathways, significantly reduced nasal polyp size and symptom severity in patients with severe CRSwNP already receiving standard intranasal corticosteroid therapy. The study enrolled adults with inadequately controlled symptoms despite maximal medical therapy. Participants were randomized to receive stapokibart or placebo, both in addition to their daily corticosteroid regimen, and were followed for 24 weeks. Results demonstrated that patients treated with stapokibart achieved a significant reduction in nasal polyp score compared with placebo, as assessed by endoscopic evaluation. Improvements were also observed in patient-reported nasal congestion, sense of smell, and overall symptom burden. Quality-of-life measures, including the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), showed meaningful improvement among those receiving the biologic therapy. Importantly, stapokibart was generally well tolerated, with adverse events limited to mild injection-site reactions and transient upper respiratory symptoms. The authors emphasized that stapokibart provides a promising new option for patients with severe, uncontrolled CRSwNP who continue to experience polyp recurrence despite corticosteroid therapy. While longer-term data are needed to assess durability of response and safety, the findings support stapokibart as a potential addition to the growing class of biologics that address underlying inflammatory mechanisms in chronic airway disease.
Keywords: stapokibart, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, CRSwNP, monoclonal antibody, intranasal corticosteroids, polyp reduction, nasal congestion, biologic therapy, JAMA, SNOT-22
