Dupilumab was not effective for children who did not have type 2 inflammation, according to the findings, which were published Dec. 9 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“This is the first study of its kind in children ages 6 to 11 that has demonstrated that a biologic improves asthma exacerbations, lung function and asthma control,” Bacharier says in a Vanderbilt University Medical Center news release.
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Are there any side effects?
The drug was safe and very few children had to stop taking it due to negative side effects, according to the researchers.
“This is a really important advance for children with moderate-to-severe asthma and their families,” Bacharier shares.
Asthma is a leading cause of hospitalization for children, and children with moderate-to-severe asthma may have reduced lung function and be at greater risk for lung diseases in adulthood, the researchers explain.
“As asthma gets increasingly severe, the burden becomes substantial, impacting the child and the entire family,” Bacharier adds. “While we have very good asthma therapies available, none of them are perfect in eliminating severe exacerbations.”
Dr. Sherry Farzan is an allergist at Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y., and served as a clinical investigator on the new trial. She believes dupilumab could be “a game-changer for patients with moderate-to-severe asthma, whose lives are marked by hospitalizations, ER visits, frequent symptoms, and limitations to physical activity.”
For his part, Grosso notes that “most children with asthma don’t have the disease severity for which this drug was tested.”
But he agrees with Farzan that “the minority with moderate-to-severe asthma not controlled with standard treatments could really benefit from an effective biological [like dupilumab].”
With an accurate diagnosis and classification, your child’s asthma can be managed through proper techniques, lifestyle changes and the correct medications. If you have questions about your child’s treatment plan, contact your doctor.