Characteristics of patients with severe, uncontrolled, eosinophilic asthma enrolled in a French cohort

Abstract

Background and objective

Benralizumab (Fasenra^™) has recently been approved as add-on maintenance treatment for adult patients with severe eosinophilic asthma inadequately controlled despite high-dosage inhaled corticosteroids plus long-acting β₂-agonists. We aimed to identify and describe the clinical characteristics and disease burden of patients with severe, uncontrolled, eosinophilic asthma in France who may be eligible for treatment with benralizumab.

Patients and methods

This was a retrospective analysis of a prospective, noninterventional, observational study of patients in France enrolled in the Asthma and Bronchial Obstruction Cohort (COBRA). First, we selected adult patients with severe asthma, a documented blood eosinophil count, 12 months of baseline data, and 12 months of follow-up data. Of these study-eligible patients, we next determined the prevalence and described the clinical characteristics and disease burden of patients who would be eligible to receive benralizumab, namely those with ≥2 asthma exacerbations in the previous 12 months and a blood eosinophil count ≥300/μL who were receiving high-dosage inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting β₂-agonists.

Results

Of the 441 patients eligible for this study, 85 (19%) met the criteria for benralizumab therapy. At study inclusion, benralizumab-eligible patients had a smaller prebronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second and less effective asthma control compared with benralizumab-ineligible patients. During the 12-month follow-up period, benralizumab-eligible patients had greater frequencies of asthma exacerbations and hospitalizations compared with benralizumab-ineligible patients.

Conclusion

Of patients with severe asthma, approximately 20% were qualified for benralizumab treatment. Benralizumab-eligible patients had increased bronchial obstruction, worse asthma control, and a greater frequency of asthma exacerbations and hospitalizations during follow-up care compared with benralizumab-ineligible patients, demonstrating inadequate disease control for these patients.

Keywords:

• COBRA
• benralizumab
• biologic
• eosinophilia
• France

Acknowledgments

Editorial support was provided by Francis J Golder, BVSc, PhD, of JK Associates, Inc., and Michael A Nissen, ELS, of AstraZeneca. This study was funded by AstraZeneca.

Author contributions

All authors contributed to the study design, data analysis and interpretation, and preparation of this manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

Michel Aubier received research grants from AstraZeneca to conduct the study. Gabriel Thabut and Caroline Fabry-Vendrand are employees of AstraZeneca. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.