Dupilumab improves lung function and reduces severe exacerbations in uncontrolled persistent asthma patients with ongoing allergic rhinitis

Introduction: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common type 2/Th2 comorbidity in asthma patients (pts). Besides having higher exacerbation rates and health-care costs, asthma pts with AR (vs those without AR) have worse asthma disease control, symptoms, and quality of life (QoL). In a pivotal phase 2b study (NCT01854047), dupilumab (DPL), a fully human anti-IL-4Rα monoclonal antibody that inhibits IL-4 and IL-13 signaling, improved lung function and QoL measures, reduced severe asthma exacerbations, and was generally well tolerated in adults with uncontrolled persistent asthma on medium-to-high-dose ICS+LABA. Aims: This post hoc analysis assessed efficacy findings in asthma pts with self-reported ongoing comorbid AR. Methods: Pts received DPL 200/300 mg every 2 weeks (q2w; currently investigated in phase 3 [NCT02414854]) or q4w, or placebo (PBO). Change from baseline to Weeks 12 and 24 in FEV 1 (L and %) and annualized severe asthma exacerbation rate over the 24-week treatment period are reported. Results: DPL 200 and 300 mg q2w improved FEV 1 (L) ( P P Table ). Conclusions: In asthma patients with ongoing AR, DPL added to ICS+LABA improved FEV 1 and reduced severe asthma exacerbations. Future studies are required to investigate the benefit of DPL in this subgroup.