Asthma UK Comment On Groundbreaking New Treatment For Severe Asthma

The new England Journal of Medicine is tomorrow publishing a collection of articles on the groundbreaking new treatment Mepolizumab. Asthma UK’s Chief Medical advisor, Professor Ian Pavord, is the senior author of the study entitled: Mepolizumab and Exacerbations of Refractory Eosinophilic Asthma and below are his comments on Mepolizumab.

Professor Ian Pavord, Chief Medical Advisor for Asthma UK and the senior author of the study (Mepolizumab and Exacerbations of Refractory Eosinophilic Asthma) says ‘The last decade has seen a limited number of alternative treatment approaches become available for asthma, so the possible benefits that Mepolizumab could bring to the half a million people with severe asthma in the UK are incredibly exciting. Studies have shown that as well as reducing severe asthma attacks by up to 50%, this groundbreaking new antibody therapy could also enable people with severe asthma to stop their use of oral steroids, which are reported by many as having significant side effects.

‘However, the key to really maximising the potential of this new therapy is identifying exactly which people with severe asthma will benefit from the treatment, something that can only be determined by measuring airway inflammation. Unfortunately, although such measurement is recommended in UK treatment guidelines for severe asthma, currently there are only a handful of centres in the UK with the correct facilities. Therefore we would urge local health trusts to make obtaining these simple facilities a priority so that the individuals who will benefit the most from this expensive new treatment can be carefully targeted when it becomes available.’

Press Release Supplied by health4media.com

Page created: 9 March 2009