Respiratory Infections and Anti-Infective Medication Use From Phase 3 Dupilumab Respiratory Studies

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Pulmonology
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Patients with asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) frequently experience recurrent respiratory tract infections.
• Type 2 inflammation is a common underlying factor in both asthma and CRSwNP.
• Dupilumab is a biologic therapy that targets type 2 inflammation and has demonstrated efficacy in these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the incidence of investigator-reported respiratory infection adverse events in patients receiving dupilumab compared to placebo.
• To assess anti-infective medication use in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma or severe CRSwNP treated with dupilumab versus placebo.

Main Methods:

• A post hoc analysis was conducted on data from two pivotal phase 3 trials: LIBERTY ASTHMA QUEST and LIBERTY NP SINUS-52.
• The analysis included patients with moderate-to-severe asthma and patients with severe CRSwNP.

Main Results:

• Dupilumab treatment was associated with a significantly lower incidence of investigator-reported respiratory infections in both asthma (22% reduction) and CRSwNP (38% reduction) patients.
• Anti-infective medication use was also significantly reduced in dupilumab-treated patients for both asthma (24% reduction) and CRSwNP (49% reduction).
• These reductions were observed consistently throughout the year, irrespective of season or month.

Conclusions:

• Dupilumab treatment is linked to a decreased occurrence of respiratory infections in patients suffering from moderate-to-severe asthma or severe CRSwNP.
• Further research is necessary to elucidate the specific mechanisms driving this observed reduction in infections.