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A groundbreaking study reveals that biological therapies, specifically benralizumab, effectively control severe asthma without the need for high-dose inhaled steroids, which often come with significant side effects.
Published in The Lancet, the multinational SHAMAL study demonstrated that 92% of patients using benralizumab could safely reduce their inhaled steroid dose, and more than 60% could discontinue usage entirely.
This breakthrough offers transformative potential for severe asthma sufferers, reducing or eliminating the adverse effects associated with inhaled steroids, such as osteoporosis, diabetes, and cataracts.
Led by Professor David Jackson from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Severe Asthma Centre and King’s College London, the study’s findings showcase how biologic therapies, like benralizumab, revolutionize severe asthma care by mitigating steroid-related harm.
Benralizumab, an injectable biological therapy, targets eosinophilic inflammatory cells prevalent in the airways of severe asthma patients, crucial in asthma attacks’ development. Administered every four to eight weeks, it’s accessible in specialized NHS asthma centers.
Conducted across 22 sites in the UK, France, Italy, and Germany, the SHAMAL study followed 208 patients who tapered their inhaled steroid dose over 32 weeks, with 90% experiencing no worsening of symptoms or exacerbations over the 48-week study period.
Further research akin to SHAMAL is needed to solidify recommendations on reducing or discontinuing high-dose steroids with other biological therapies. Funded by AstaZeneca, this study involved researchers from esteemed institutions such as Queens University Belfast, Université Paris-Saclay, and Trinity College Dublin.
