Patients with Asthma Who Take Biologics Often Can Reduce ICS Doses

Three to ten percent of patients with asthma have severe disease, and the majority of those have type 2 or eosinophilic phenotypes. Biologics such as benralizumab (an anti–interleukin-5 receptor-α monoclonal antibody) can be very effective for preventing exacerbations and possibly reducing inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) exposure.

In a 32-week industry-funded international study, researchers randomized 208 adults whose severe eosinophilic asthma was well controlled on benralizumab to continue high-dose ICS–formoterol therapy or to gradually taper it to only as-needed use. Patients in the dose-reduction group initially used their ICS/formoterol as both maintenance and rescue therapy (MART); 92% were able to reduce their high-dose ICS, and 62% we…