Targeted therapeutics for severe refractory asthma: monoclonal antibodies

ABSTRACT

Severe asthma is a complex multifactorial disease that requires specialist multidisciplinary input for optimal clinical outcomes. Following multidimensional assessment for optimisation of current therapy, self-management skills and comorbidities, all patients should be accurately phenotyped. Only after this assessment has been completed should new monoclonal antibody therapies be considered. In this review, we summarise the new antibody approaches targeting identified pathological pathways in severe refractory asthma.

KEYWORDS:

• Severe asthma
• treatment-refractory asthma
• monoclonal
• phenotype
• biomarker
• targeted therapy
• multidimensional assessment

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Funding support from the NHMRC Centre of Excellence in Severe Asthma. CL Grainge has participated in educational symposia funded by GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Menarini, Boehringer Ingelhiem and Novartis. He has participated in studies funded by GlaxoSmithKline and advisory boards for Boehringer Ingleheim and Roche. VM McDonald is supported by an NHMRC TRIP fellowship. She has participated in educational symposia funded by GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Menarini, Boehringer Ingelhiem and Novartis. She has participated in studies funded by GlaxoSmithKline and advisory boards for GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, AstraZeneca and Menarini. PG Gibson holds an NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship. He has participated in educational symposia funded by AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis, and has participated in studies funded by GlaxoSmithKline. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.