First asthma treatment in 50 years could be 'game changer' in preventing deadly attacks

A groundbreaking treatment for chronic asthma, the first in 50 years, could be a "game changer" in preventing fatal attacks. Scientists have found that benralizumab can combat attacks in individuals with both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

A pioneering study published in The Lancet demonstrates that an injection during an attack is more effective than the current standard care of steroid tablets, reducing the need for further treatment by 30%. Lead investigator Professor Mona Bafadhel, from King's College London, 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 to show that it's more effective than steroid tablets, which is the only treatment currently available."

Approximately 5.5 million Brits suffer from asthma, while an estimated three million people have COPD, a group of lung conditions causing breathing difficulties, but two thirds of these are undiagnosed.

Benralizumab is a monoclonal antibody, proteins created in a lab that bind to specific targets in the body. It specifically targets white blood cells, known as eosinophils, to reduce lung inflammation.

A revolutionary treatment for severe asthma and COPD is on the horizon, after a trial by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust discovered that a higher single dose of the drug benralizumab, administered during an attack, shows remarkable efficacy. The research suggests this method could safely be deployed at home or GP practices, besides emergency admissions, reports the Mirror.

Dr Sanjay Ramakrishnan from the University of Western Australia commented: "Our study shows massive promise for asthma and COPD treatment. 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."

The findings are particularly significant for those experiencing "eosinophilic exacerbations", which account for half of asthma and a third of COPD flare-ups and involve a specific white blood cell responding to allergens and infections. The clinical research involved 158 individuals who sought emergency care due to their asthma or COPD condition.

Patients undergoing a swift blood test allowed medics to determine the type of attack, with eosinophil-related episodes marking eligibility for treatment. The study participants were then divided into three groups: one group was administered the benralizumab injection along with placebo tablets; another received the standard prednisolone steroids as well as a placebo injection; and the final group was treated with both benralizumab injections and steroids.

After 28 days, improvements in coughing, wheezing, breathlessness, and sputum levels were notably better in the benralizumab-treated individuals. At the 90-day checkpoint, treatment failure was four times less likely in the benralizumab group compared to those on steroids alone.

Additionally, the benralizumab treatment evidenced a longer time before failure, resulting in fewer GP or hospital visits required by patients. Individuals also experienced an enhanced quality of life under the new treatment scheme.

Researchers highlighted that steroids, while commonly used, carry significant risks such as heightened chances of developing diabetes and osteoporosis; thus, transitioning to benralizumab could lead to substantial advantages.

Dr Samantha Walker from Asthma and Lung UK commented on the innovation: "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."

AstraZeneca supplied the drug for the study and financed the research, but had no involvement in the trial's design, execution, analysis or interpretation. The results are published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal.

NHS: Symptoms of asthma

According to the NHS, the main symptoms of asthma are:

• a whistling sound when breathing (wheezing)
• breathlessness
• a tight chest, which may feel like a band is tightening around it
• coughing

The symptoms can sometimes get temporarily worse. This is known as an asthma attack. The NHS advise seeing a GP if you think you or your child may have asthma.

The NHS website states: "Several conditions can cause similar symptoms, so it's important to get a proper diagnosis and correct treatment. The GP will usually be able to diagnose asthma by asking about symptoms and carrying out some simple tests."