For a review, it was determined that asthma was a chronic inflammatory condition defined by reversible airway restriction, and increasingly recognized as a broad-spectrum disease including many patient features and pathophysiologic causes. Suboptimal asthma management increased the burden of healthcare costs and reduced societal productivity. In poorly controlled allergic and eosinophilic asthma, biologic treatments targeting IgE and eosinophils had been employed. Researchers examined the developments in currently available biologic medicines for asthma that target IgE and eosinophils, as well as how these medications may affect total healthcare expenses.
Omalizumab- an anti-IgE antibody that is licensed for the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma was poorly managed. Many studies showed that omalizumab not only improved the quality of life and symptom ratings but also reduced urgent care and emergency department visits, as well as hospitalizations. Dupilumab is a biologic drug that targets Th2 cytokines but also has an indirect effect on IgE and is an essential biologic treatment for atopic disorders. Mepolizumab, reslizumab, and benralizumab all target IL-5, a cytokine that is important for eosinophils. These biological medicines improved asthma symptoms, minimized exacerbations, and decreased emergency visits and hospitalizations in individuals with poorly managed eosinophilic asthma.
Poorly managed severe asthma affected a tiny percentage of asthma patients in the United States, but it accounted for a significant share of healthcare consumption. Biological therapy has been shown to minimize healthcare consumption, including emergency visits and hospitalizations, in patients with poorly managed severe persistent asthma. Biological drugs clearly had a helpful role in the therapy of severe asthma, and further research should be conducted to determine optimal patient characteristics for the different agents, as well as overall benefit in terms of healthcare consumption and cost.
Reference:journals.lww.com/co-allergy/Abstract/2017/02000/IgE_and_eosinophils_as_therapeutic_targets_in.9.aspx
