Recent research suggests that tezepelumab injections could allow patients with severe asthma to discontinue the use of oral corticosteroids, which are associated with significant long-term health risks.

Thus, people with severe asthma could stop taking daily steroid tablets, which would mean a relief and an improvement in their quality of life.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 262 million people worldwide suffer from asthma. Most of these can control their asthma with inhalers, but those with more severe asthma often also take daily doses of oral corticosteroids. Worse still, long-term use is associated with serious health problems, such as osteoporosis, diabetes, and increased vulnerability to infections.

Study Results

The Wayfinder trial, conducted by King's College London, involved nearly 300 patients from 11 countries. The results indicate that more than half of the participants were able to stop taking steroids without experiencing relapses.

Patients who received tezepelumab showed a marked improvement in asthma symptoms, lung function, and overall quality of life.

66% of participants did not experience asthma attacks during the study. These results were published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine and presented at the British Thoracic Society winter meeting. Experts celebrate progress. Professor David Jackson, lead author of the study, quoted by the British newspaper The Guardian, highlighted the additional benefits of the drug in treating allergy symptoms and chronic rhinosinusitis, while lung health experts emphasize the need for continued research into innovative treatments. This development represents a significant advance in the treatment of patients with severe asthma.Experts suggest that the monthly injection option could offer a more manageable approach to disease control, although they stress the importance of carefully evaluating the results before implementing changes to clinical guidelines.

Contraindications for tezepelumab administration

The main contraindication for tezepelumab administration is known hypersensitivity to the drug or any of its excipients. Furthermore, its use should be avoided in patients with severe untreated infections, and it is recommended to discontinue treatment if a serious infection develops during therapy. It is also contraindicated in pregnant or breastfeeding women and in individuals with a history of anaphylaxis following any biologic therapy. Other patient groups in whom it is contraindicated or should be used with caution include those with significant pulmonary diseases other than asthma, smokers with a significant history of smoking, patients with severe liver disease, severe renal impairment, uncontrolled congestive heart failure, and individuals with a recent history of hepatitis B, C, HIV, cancer, significant infections, or chronic alcohol and drug abuse. In addition, live attenuated vaccines should be avoided during treatment with tezepelumab.

Finally, patients should be monitored for hypersensitivity reactions during and after administration, as severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis may occur. If anaphylaxis occurs, treatment should be discontinued immediately and appropriate medical management provided.

Treatment Access and Cost

Patients with severe asthma can access tezepelumab (Tezspire) by consulting a physician specializing in severe asthma, who should prescribe it as add-on maintenance therapy for adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older with asthma that is not controlled despite high doses of inhaled corticosteroids plus another drug.

The drug is administered by subcutaneous injection of 210 mg every 4 weeks, and costs approximately $1,938 per dose for a pre-filled syringe, which equates to an annual cost of slightly less than $24,000.

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