Newer Treatments for Severe Asthma - Biologic Agents

Asthma affects more than 30 crore people worldwide. It is characterized by variable symptoms of shortness of breath, cough, and chest tightness. Up to 10% of adults and 2.5% of children with asthma have severe asthma, with a reduced quality of life. Larger number of people with severe asthma have eosinophilic asthma, where the cornerstone of treatment is steroids. Patients with severe asthma have persistent symptoms despite medication and poor quality of life with repeated hospitalizations.

They can have frequent exacerbations that require repetitive high dose steroids and maintenance oral steroid therapy. In real-world observational studies, adolescents and adults with severe eosinophilic asthma when treated with newer biological agents, had fewer exacerbations and hospitalizations, a lower oral steroid burden, and better symptom control and improved quality of life than before. Biologic agents are efficacious add-on therapies for uncontrolled, severe eosinophilic asthma. 

These therapies represent major breakthroughs, significantly decreasing exacerbation rates and improving the quality of life.

Dr. T.  Anuradha
MBBS, MD (Pulmonology) FCCM
Consultant Pulmonologist, Star Hospitals

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