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Mepolizumab reduces corticosteroid use, exacerbation rates in asthma patients

HOUSTON — Regardless of past Xolair treatment, mepolizumab exhibited comparable reductions in oral corticosteroid use and exacerbation rates in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma, according to data presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting.

Researcher Charlene M. Prazma, PhD, medical affairs scientific director at GlaxoSmithKline, and colleagues, conducted an analysis of the SIRIUS study to compare patients by their prior use of Xolair (omalizumab, Genentech), and they evaluated the efficacy of mepolizumab (GlaxoSmithKline), an investigational IL-5 antagonist monoclonal antibody. Study patients were not permitted to use omalizumab, and their omalizumab history and discontinuation reasons were recorded.

Forty-five of the patients had previously used omalizumab (median duration, 8 months), and 82% of them discontinued its use due to lack of efficacy.

“Mepolizumab resulted in comparable reductions in the exacerbation rate, relative to placebo, regardless of history of omalizumab treatment,” the researchers wrote.

Patients who previously used omalizumab and were assigned placebo (n = 22) had a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) of 52.2% vs. 56.6% for patients assigned mepolizumab (n = 23). Patients naive to omalizumab who were assigned placebo (n = 44) had an FEV₁ of 60.6% compared with 61.1% of patients receiving mepolizumab (n = 46).

“Mepolizumab treatment in an OCS-dependent population increased the odds of achieving a reduction in OCS category irrespective of prior treatment with omalizumab,” the researchers wrote. – by Ryan McDonald

Reference:

Prazma CM, et al. Abstract L6. Presented at: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting; Feb. 20-24, 2015; Houston.

Disclosure: Prazma reports employment with GlaxoSmithKline.