Tezepelumab Shows Promise in Treating Severe Asthma with or without Nasal Polyps

A recent study published in Journal Of Asthma And Allergy by LaidLaw T M and colleagues highlights the potential of tezepelumab, a human monoclonal antibody that blocks thymic stromal lymphopoietin, in the treatment of severe asthma, with or without nasal polyps (NPs). The phase 3 NAVIGATOR study (NCT03347279) revealed that tezepelumab reduced annualized asthma exacerbation rates (AAERs) compared to a placebo, regardless of baseline disease characteristics. Moreover, the treatment improved lung function, symptom control, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults and adolescents with severe, uncontrolled asthma.

Key findings from the study:

● Reduction in AAER: Tezepelumab led to an 85% reduction in AAER over 52 weeks versus placebo in patients with nasal polyps and a 51% reduction in patients without nasal polyps.

● Improved Lung Function: Tezepelumab demonstrated improvements in lung function, asthma control, and HRQoL at week 52 compared to placebo in both patient groups.

● Sino-Nasal Symptoms: In patients with nasal polyps, tezepelumab significantly reduced Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT)-22 total scores by 28 weeks (–12.57 points) and 52 weeks (–10.58 points) compared to placebo.

● Biological Markers: Tezepelumab resulted in reduced blood eosinophil counts, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), immunoglobulin E (IgE), eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), matrix metalloproteinase-10 (MMP-10), and serum interleukin (IL)-5, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-13 levels at week 52, irrespective of nasal polyp status.

These findings suggest that tezepelumab offers clinically meaningful improvements in both sino-nasal symptoms and asthma outcomes among patients with severe asthma, whether they have nasal polyps or not.

The study underscores the potential of tezepelumab as a valuable treatment option for individuals struggling with severe asthma, offering hope for improved symptom control and a better quality of life. Further research and clinical trials may provide additional insights into the long-term benefits of tezepelumab for patients with severe asthma and comorbid conditions like nasal polyps.

Reference:

Laidlaw, T. M., Menzies-Gow, A., Caveney, S., Han, J. K., Martin, N., Israel, E., Lee, J. K., Llanos, J.-P., Martin, N., Megally, A., Parikh, B., Vong, S., Welte, T., & Corren, J. (2023). Tezepelumab efficacy in patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma with comorbid nasal polyps in NAVIGATOR. Journal of Asthma and Allergy, 16, 915–932. https://doi.org/10.2147/jaa.s413064