Researchers have announced the discovery of the first new treatment for asthma attacks in 50 years.
The injection targets an overactive part of the immune system that contributes to flare-ups in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
While benralizumab is currently used for severe cases, recent findings suggest it could be applied more widely, potentially addressing around two million attacks annually in the UK.
The research team from King’s College London described the drug as a “game-changer” with the potential to “revolutionize” asthma and COPD care.
Their breakthrough came from recognizing that asthma and COPD attacks are not uniform; different immune responses are involved in different patients.
“Now we can see there are different patterns of inflammation, we can be smarter and get the right treatment, to the right patient, at the right time,” said Prof Mona Bafadhel, from King’s.
Benralizumab targets a type of white blood cell – called an eosinophil – that can cause inflammation and damage in the lungs.
Eosinophils are implicated in about half of asthma attacks and a third of COPD flare-ups.
If such an attack – involving difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing and chest tightness – cannot be controlled with regular inhalers then doctors currently prescribe a course of steroids.
The study, on 158 people, monitored patients for three months after treatment for a flare-up.
The results in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine found a treatment failure rate of:
- 74% when taking steroids
- and 45% with the new therapy
Patients treated with the new therapy were less likely to be hospitalized, require additional treatment, or face death.
Professor Bafadhel emphasized that this treatment could benefit a large number of people, noting that two million attacks annually “is not a small number.”
He described the breakthrough as a “game-changer,” pointing out that it had been 50 years since a treatment change had occurred and that this innovation would “revolutionize how we treat people when they’re really unwell.”
Volunteers also reported improved symptoms and an enhanced quality of life after using the new drug.
One of the trial participants, Alison Spooner, 55, from Oxfordshire, shared her experience. Having lived with asthma since childhood, her condition worsened over the past five years, resulting in three major attacks.
“They seemed to be getting worse, the severe lack of breath was quite frightening when you’re gasping and there’s nothing to gasp at,” she told me.
Alison says she felt “drastically different” after having the injection and still uses her inhalers but “only because I’ve been told to”.
“Unfortunately, no drug gets rid of asthma completely, but this is the nearest thing. It’s a bit of a miracle actually,” she adds.
‘Massive promise’
Benralizumab is not yet ready for widescale use, as further research is needed. A larger trial, set to begin in 2025 and lasting two years, is required to confirm any benefits.
Patients currently using these drugs should continue following their prescribed treatment.
The upcoming study will also need to evaluate the drug’s cost-effectiveness, as monoclonal antibodies, such as this therapy, are costly.
Dr. Sanjay Ramakrishnan from the University of Oxford highlighted that the initial results “show massive promise” and pointed out that treatment for COPD has remained largely stagnant in the 20th century, despite COPD being a leading cause of death worldwide.
Additionally, long-term steroid use is associated with side effects like weight gain, diabetes, and weakened bones.
Geoffrey Pointing, 77, from Oxfordshire, who also took part in the trial, said: “I didn’t get any side effects like I used to with the steroid tablets.
“I used to never sleep well the first night of taking steroids, but the first day on the study, I could sleep that first night, and I was able to carry on with my life without problems.”
It is estimated that four people with asthma and 85 people with COPD die in the UK every day.
Dr Samantha Walker, from the charity Asthma + Lung UK, said the results were “great news”.
“But it’s appalling that this is the first new treatment for those suffering from asthma and COPD attacks in 50 years,” she said.