Patients with severe eosinophilic asthma benefit from the treatment with Anti-IL-5 Reslizumab – a real life study from Austria

Introduction: Eosinophilic asthma is a distinct asthma phenotype characterized by high numbers eosinophils that are driven by Interleukin (IL)-5. Anti-IL-5 Reslizumab has been shown to successfully reduce exacerbation rates and improve quality of life in clinical trials. However, patients in clinical trials are known to be selected based on very strict criteria, which hardly reflect the reality and real life data are still lacking.

Objective: To investigate the effect of Reslizumab in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) in a real life setting.

Methods: In this prospective real life study 29 patients from Austria with SEA were treated with monthly i. v. injections of Reslizumab according to the manufacturesʼ instructions. Lung function, serum eosinophils, exhaled nitric oxide, steroid sparing effect and asthma control have been evaluated since the beginning of the treatment.

Results: A significant improvement in lung function and in asthma control measured by the asthma control test were found despite a significant reduction in the daily oral steroids after 12 weeks of treatment with Reslizumab. No effect in FeNO was found. Six patients stopped the treatment with Reslizumab because there was no beneficial effect. No severe adverse events occurred.

Conclusion: In real life conditions, most patients with SEA benefit from the treatment with Reslizumab, mainly shown by improvement of asthma control and reduction or even cessation of systemic steroids. These results support the use of Reslizumab in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma who are inadequately controlled with the best standard care treatment.