A groundbreaking study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine has revealed a potential revolution in managing asthma and COPD flare-ups. Researchers at King’s College London have found that benralizumab, a monoclonal antibody already used in severe eosinophilic asthma cases, could now offer critical relief during acute flare-ups.
The injection targets eosinophils, a type of white blood cell responsible for inflammation in roughly half of asthma and a third of COPD exacerbations. In a trial involving 158 patients, benralizumab significantly outperformed standard steroid treatment.
Key findings include:
- Patients on benralizumab experienced faster recovery, better quality of life, and avoided common steroid-related side effects like weight gain and high blood sugar.
- Treatment failure rates: 74% with steroids alone, 45% with benralizumab and 42% with combined therapy.
Prof. Mona Bafadhel, leading the research, called the drug a “game-changer,” saying, “This is the nearest thing to a miracle we’ve seen in decades for treating asthma and COPD attacks.”
Although not yet ready for widespread use, larger trials starting in 2025 aim to confirm these promising results and evaluate cost-effectiveness. If successful, benralizumab could break a 50-year drought in new treatments for these conditions.
