MEDI-528, an anti-IL-9 humanized antibody for the treatment of asthma

In development by MedImmune LLC, under license from Genaera Corp, MEDI-528 is an injectable, humanized mAb against IL-9 for the potential treatment of asthma. In asthma, airway inflammation is usually adequately minimized with standard-of-care treatments, such as inhaled corticosteroids and leukotriene modifiers, but it is sometimes less responsive to such therapies and other anti-inflammatory approaches are required. Several T-helper cell type 2-derived cytokines, such as IL-4, -5, -9 and -13, play a major role in the development of disease pathogenic features in asthma, including airway eosinophilia, increased IgE production, mucus hypersecretion and airway hyperreactivity. As an IL-9 antagonist, MEDI-528 appears to inhibit a range of asthma pathogenic features in antigen-exposed mice. To date, clinical data are modest, although insufficient to judge the efficacy of the drug in humans, and larger and longer-term clinical trials are required. MEDI-528, along with other anticytokine therapies targeting different ILs, remains under investigation in early-phase trials for asthma. Time will tell if this form of therapy can be used as an add-on to less efficacious anti-inflammatory therapy or can replace the existing anti-inflammatory therapies in the treatment of asthma.