HOUSTON — Patients who began biologic treatment for asthma tended to have more progressive worsening of disease in the previous 2 years, according to data presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting, held November 7-11, 2019 in Houston, Texas.

Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of patient claims data from Symphony Health between January 2014 and October 2018. Patients were included if they were aged ≥18 years, had ≥2 claims indicating asthma on separate dates, ≥2 years of no biologic therapy leading up to initiation (index date), and 2 years of continuous activity before the index date. Treatment with oral corticosteroids and asthma-related emergency department visits and/or hospitalizations were considered key indicators of exacerbations.

A total of 25,416 patients were included in the analysis, and 2 years before biologic therapy was initiated, 56% required oral corticosteroids, 26% experienced emergency department visits, and 13% had asthma-related hospitalizations. Omalizumab was the first biologic prescribed in 64% of patients, mepolizumab in 28%, benralizumab in 6%, and reslizumab in 2%. Mepolizumab was prescribed at similar rate by allergists (46%) and pulmonologists (47%). However, allergists more frequently prescribed the other biologics (omalizumab, benralizumab, and reslizumab).

Overall, the researchers noted, allergists tended to prescribe biologics more often than pulmonologists.

Reference

Pennington E, Camargo C, Hanania N, et al. Indicators of asthma exacerbation before initiation of biologic therapy: a real-world experience. Presented at: American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting 2019; November 7-11, 2019; Houston, TX. Abstract P210.

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