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Updated: Aug 2, 2025
Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Severe Asthma
Published on: November 4, 2010
Dupilumab improves long-term outcomes in patients with uncontrolled, moderate-to-severe GINA-based type 2 asthma,
Klaus F Rabe1,2, Ian D Pavord3, William W Busse4
1LungenClinic Grosshansdorf (Member of the German Center for Lung Research [DZL]), Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Grosshansdorf, Germany.
Background:
Previous research has shown greater efficacy of dupilumab in patients with uncontrolled asthma and type 2 inflammation. We analyzed dupilumab's efficacy in patients from the TRAVERSE study with or without evidence of allergic asthma and type 2 inflammation per current GINA guidelines (≥150 eosinophils/μL or FeNO ≥20 ppb).
Methods:
All patients aged ≥12 years who rolled over from the placebo-controlled QUEST study (NCT02414854) to TRAVERSE (NCT02134028) received add-on dupilumab 300 mg every 2 weeks for up to 96 weeks. We assessed annualized severe asthma exacerbation rates (AERs) and changes from parent-study baseline (PSBL) in pre-bronchodilator FEV1 and 5-item asthma control questionnaire (ACQ-5) score in patients with moderate-to-severe type 2 asthma with and without evidence of allergic asthma at PSBL.
Results:
In TRAVERSE, dupilumab consistently reduced AER across all subgroups. By Week 96, dupilumab increased pre-bronchodilator FEV1 from PSBL by 0.35-0.41 L in patients receiving placebo during QUEST (placebo/dupilumab) and 0.34-0.44 L in those receiving dupilumab during QUEST (dupilumab/dupilumab) with an allergic phenotype at baseline. In patients without evidence of allergic asthma, pre-bronchodilator FEV1 improved by 0.38-0.41 L and 0.33-0.37 L, respectively. By Week 48, ACQ-5 scores decreased from PSBL by 1.63-1.69 (placebo/dupilumab) and 1.74-1.81 (dupilumab/dupilumab) points across subgroups with allergic asthma, and 1.75-1.83 (placebo/dupilumab) and 1.78-1.86 (dupilumab/dupilumab) in those without.
Conclusions:
Long-term treatment with dupilumab reduced exacerbation rates and improved lung function and asthma control in patients with asthma with type 2 inflammation as per current GINA guidance and irrespective of evidence of allergic asthma.
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