Benralizumab Maintains Remission in Asthma in Some, Not All
Clinical remission was achieved and sustained in nearly one third of patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) receiving benralizumab for up to 2 years, with better outcomes in biologic-naive patients than in biologic-experienced patients.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers conducted a real-world study to evaluate if long-term remission was viable among adult patients with SEA (mean age at the index date, 55.2 years; 58.7% women) who received benralizumab for up to 96 weeks between 2018 and 2023.
Of the 1070 patients included, 662 were biologic naive and 404 were biologic experienced; 55% received maintenance oral corticosteroids at baseline.
The major outcome was clinical remission (defined as a composite of the absence of exacerbations, no use of maintenance oral corticosteroids, and well-controlled asthma) at weeks 0, 48, and 96.
The association between baseline characteristics and the status of clinical remission at weeks 48 and 96 was also determined.
TAKEAWAY:
Clinical remission was achieved in 0.4% of patients at baseline, in 39.0% at week 48, and in 31.0% at week 96, with biologic-naive patients showing higher remission rates than biologic-experienced patients (36.0% vs 23.0%).
Exacerbation-free status was achieved in 3.3% of patients at baseline, in 72.0% at week 48, and in 60.0% at week 96, with a greater number of biologic-naive patients being exacerbation-free than biologic-experienced ones (67.0% vs 55.0%).
Overall, the proportion of patients not using maintenance oral corticosteroids increased from 65% at baseline to 76% at weeks 48 and 96.
A lower dose of maintenance oral corticosteroids, lower body mass index, and higher blood eosinophil count at baseline were associated with achieving remission at week 96.
IN PRACTICE:
'Outcomes were maintained irrespective of previous biologic use and key baseline characteristics that clinicians typically consider in their therapeutic decision-making. Patients with lower disease burden were more likely to achieve clinical remission, reinforcing the importance of early treatment intervention,' the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Girolamo Pelaia, MD, Università Magna Graecia in Catanzaro, Italy. It was published online on April 19, 2025, in CHEST .
LIMITATIONS:
This study lacked a control arm. The limited availability of data on lung function restricted its inclusion in the remission composite. The COVID-19 pandemic overlapped with the period of data collection, potentially affecting outcomes.
DISCLOSURES:
This study was supported by AstraZeneca. Several authors reported being employees of and owning stock in AstraZeneca. Some others reported having other ties with AstraZeneca and various sources.
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