'Gamechanger' breakthrough for asthma sufferers in first new attack treatment for 50 years

Scientists have heralded a new "game-changer" method for treating severe asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attacks. Groundbreaking research suggests that administering an injection is more effective than the standard oral steroid treatments.

The dicovery, which is the first new treatment for 50 years , also reduces the need for subsequent treatment by 30%. Dr Sanjay Ramakrishnan from the University of Western Australia, lead author of the study, said: "Our study shows massive promise for asthma and COPD treatment."

Highlighting the urgent need for updated treatments he added: "COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide but treatment for the condition is stuck in the 20th century. We need to provide these patients with life-saving options before their time runs out."

Asthma patients often receive Benralizumab, which specifically targets eosinophils to alleviate lung inflammation. While currently used as a repeated low dose treatment for severe asthma cases, the groundbreaking clinical trial discovered that a higher one-time dose during an attack can significantly improve outcomes.

The findings, published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, derive from an examination of 158 individuals who required emergency assistance for an asthma or COPD episode, reports Surrey Live. COPD encompasses a range of lung issues causing breathing difficulties.

Patients underwent a blood test to determine the type of attack they were experiencing. Those with an "eosinophilic exacerbation", which is characterised by the presence of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell), were deemed fit for treatment.

According to the study, around half of asthma flare-ups are eosinophilic exacerbations, while this figure stands at 30% for COPD exacerbations. The clinical trial was led by researchers from King's College London and conducted at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust alongside Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.

Participants were divided randomly into three cohorts: one received benralizumab injections plus placebo tablets, another standard care involving prednisolone steroids coupled with a placebo injection, and a third was given both the benralizumab injection and steroids. Findings showed that after 28 days, those treated with benralizumab experienced significant improvements in coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and sputum production.

Moreover, at the 90-day mark, the rate of treatment failure was four times lower within the benralizumab group versus the steroid group. Additionally, the benralizumab therapy tended to fail more slowly, suggesting reduced doctor or hospital visits for patients.

Subjects also reported enhanced quality of life under the new treatment plan. Scientists from King's have highlighted the potential severe side effects of steroids, such as heightened risk for diabetes and osteoporosis, indicating that a switch to benralizumab could offer substantial benefits.

Lead investigator Professor Mona Bafadhel from King's said: "This could be a game-changer for people with asthma and COPD. Treatment for asthma and COPD exacerbations have not changed in 50 years, despite causing 3.8 million deaths worldwide a year combined.

"Benralizumab is a safe and effective drug already used to manage severe asthma. We've used the drug in a different way – at the point of an exacerbation – to show that it's more effective than steroid tablets, which is the only treatment currently available."

The professor highlighted that benralizumab might even be safely administered at home, in GP practices, or at A&E.

Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, welcomed to the results. However she warned: "It's appalling that this is the first new treatment for those suffering from asthma and COPD attacks in 50 years, indicating how desperately underfunded lung health research is.

The study's medication was supplied by AstraZeneca, who also funded the research. However, the pharmaceutical company had no role in the trial's design, delivery, analysis, or interpretation.