Dupilumab may Improve Asthma Control and Lung Function in Chinese Patients: Study
China: Researchers have found in a 24-week subgroup analysis that dupilumab improved lung function, asthma control, and reduced exacerbations in Chinese patients with type 2 asthma who were not receiving maintenance oral corticosteroids (OCS). The treatment was also well tolerated during the study period.
The findings were published in the Journal of Asthma and Allergy by Qingling Zhang, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, and colleagues. The analysis examined data from Chinese participants enrolled in a phase 3 Asia-Pacific trial evaluating dupilumab for inadequately controlled moderate-to-severe asthma.
Dupilumab is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the shared receptor component of interleukin-4 and interleukin-13, two cytokines involved in type 2 inflammation. The study noted that asthma affects approximately 46 million adults in China, highlighting the need for effective targeted therapies.
The trial included patients aged 12 years and older whose asthma remained inadequately controlled despite medium- or high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and at least one additional controller medication. Patients with evidence of type 2 inflammation, defined by blood eosinophil counts of at least 150 cells/μL or fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels of at least 25 parts per billion, and who were not receiving maintenance OCS were randomized to dupilumab 200 mg every two weeks or placebo for 24 weeks.
Of 412 patients randomized in China, 206 received dupilumab and 206 received placebo. A total of 347 participants were included in the primary efficacy analysis. The main efficacy outcome was the change in pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) from baseline to week 12.
Key findings:
- Dupilumab produced a significantly greater improvement in FEV1 at week 12 compared with placebo, with an LS mean difference of 0.34 L.
- Asthma control also improved, with a greater reduction in 5-Item Asthma Control Questionnaire scores at week 24 (LS mean difference, −0.19).
- The risk of severe asthma exacerbations was reduced by 74.2% with dupilumab compared with placebo (risk ratio, 0.258).
- Rates of treatment-emergent adverse events were similar between the dupilumab and placebo groups.
The researchers noted that the analysis was limited to a subgroup of the larger trial and was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when reduced in-person visits and remote monitoring were required. A notable placebo response was also observed, potentially reflecting greater adherence to background treatment and closer monitoring. The subgroup design may limit generalizability to other Asia-Pacific populations, while longer-term real-world studies are needed to assess sustained effectiveness.
Overall, the findings indicate that adding dupilumab to standard therapy may improve lung function and asthma control while substantially reducing severe exacerbations in Chinese patients with type 2 asthma who do not require maintenance OCS. The treatment demonstrated a favorable tolerability profile over 24 weeks.
Reference:
Zhang Q, Fu X, Fang H, Lin J, Altincatal A, Huang Y, Kwah JH, Ledanois O, Zhong N. Dupilumab Improves Lung Function and Reduces Severe Exacerbations in Patients from China with Type 2 Asthma: A Subgroup Analysis of a Phase 3 Randomized Trial. J Asthma Allergy. 2026;19:597499. https://doi.org/10.2147/JAA.S597499
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