Loading...
Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an epithelial cell−derived cytokine that upregulates T-helper cell-2–type inflammation. Tezepelumab is an investigational anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody that, in a small proof-of-concept study, limited allergen-induced asthmatic responses and markers of type 2 inflammation in patients with mild atopic asthma (N Engl J Med 2014; 370:2102). Now, in a phase II trial funded by the drug's manufacturer, researchers have evaluated tezepelumab (administered subcutaneously every 2 or 4 weeks) versus placebo in 584 patients with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma despite treatment with inhaled glucocorticoids and long-acting β-agonists.
At 52 weeks, rates of annualized exacerbations that required oral glucocor…