Biologics improved outcomes in disadvantaged pediatric asthma patients: Cureus
Pediatric asthma continues to disproportionally affect under-resourced and minority populations, leading to frequent hospitalizations, repeated steroid exposure, and poor symptom control. Although monoclonal antibody therapies have demonstrated efficacy in controlled trials, real-world pediatric data remain limited, particularly in vulnerable communities. A recent study was published in Cureus by Samantha Y. and colleagues. The study demonstrated that these therapies were both effective and well-tolerated, with high adherence rates, supporting their role as a valuable treatment option for high-risk pediatric populations.
This study was an IRB-approved retrospective chart review at Nemours Children’s Hospital, a pediatric referral center in Delaware. Patients 18 years or younger who received at least one year of biologic therapy for moderate to severe asthma were eligible for the study. SES was determined using the ADI, calculated from the zip code, with higher values indicating higher levels of disadvantage. Healthcare utilization and clinical outcomes 12 months before and after biologic initiation were compared by a paired two-tailed Student’s t-test adjusted for multiple comparisons.
A total of 16 patients met the inclusion criteria. The cohort consisted of 56% males, 75% Black patients, and 81% non-Hispanic individuals. The median age at the initiation of biologic therapy was 9.5 years. The median ADI was 73.5, with values ranging from 13 to 97, indicating that most participants resided in highly disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Public insurance coverage was reported in 56% of the cohort, further reflecting socioeconomic vulnerability and limited access to healthcare resources prior to specialist intervention.
Key Findings
The study consisted of 16 pediatric patients with moderate to severe asthma; 75% were Black, 56% were male, and 81% were non-Hispanic.
The median age at biologic initiation was 9.5 years.
The median ADI was 73.5, representing significant socioeconomic disadvantage.
Hospitalizations decreased from an average of 1.63 to 0.25 within one year of treatment.
Oral corticosteroid courses were reduced from an average of 5.4 to 2.5.
Medication compliance reached a median of 96% with a range of 63% to 100%.
Emergency department visits and pulmonary function values showed improvement but did not reach statistical significance.
In pediatric patients with moderate to severe asthma from disadvantaged communities, biologic therapy significantly reduced hospitalizations, use of oral corticosteroids, and subjective symptom burden.
Reference:
Starkey S Y, Strang A, Brown E, et al. (November 25, 2025) Monoclonal Antibody Treatment for Pediatric Asthma: Current Evidence and Findings From a Delaware Cohort Study. Cureus 17(11): e97780. doi:10.7759/cureus.97780
