Challenges in severe asthma: Do we need new drugs or new biomarkers?

Adil Adatia; Harissios Vliagoftis

doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.921967

Challenges in severe asthma: Do we need new drugs or new biomarkers?

Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Sep 27:9:921967. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.921967. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Adil Adatia¹, Harissios Vliagoftis^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
² Alberta Respiratory Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Abstract

Severe asthma is a complex, heterogenous airway condition. There have been significant advances in severe asthma management in the past decade using monoclonal antibody therapies that target the inflammatory component of the disease. Patient selection has been paramount for the success of these biologicals, leading to significant interest in biomarkers to guide treatment. Some severe asthmatics remain suboptimally controlled despite trials of biologicals and many of these patients still require chronic systemic corticosteroids. New therapeutics are currently in development to address this unmet need. However, whether these patients could be better treated by using novel biomarkers that inform selection among currently available biologics, and that objectively measure disease control is unclear. In this review, we examine the currently used biomarkers that guide severe asthma management and emerging biomarkers that may improve asthma therapy in the future.

Keywords: anti-IL 5; biologics; biomarkers; eosinophils; severe asthma.

Publication types

Review