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Unmet need in severe asthma

Despite advances in diagnosis and management, many patients with respiratory disease may still experience sub-optimal disease control.1

Home EpiFundamentals Unmet need in severe asthma

Significant unmet need exists for patients with severe asthma1

  • Asthma affects approximately 262 million people worldwide,2 of whom
    ~5–10% have severe or uncontrolled asthma.3
  • A study found that approximately 60% of patients with severe asthma remain sub-optimally controlled despite treatment with standard-of-care medications.4
  • Sub-optimal asthma control can have a significant impact on patient outcomes, including increased risk of exacerbations leading to hospitalisation, comorbidities, systemic side effects owing to exposure to OCS, increased healthcare costs, poor quality of life, and mortality.4–10
    • Absenteeism and activity limitations as a result of sub-optimal asthma control and increased rates of anxiety and depression among people with severe asthma can contribute to poor quality of life.8,11–13
    • Overuse of inhalers and increased hospitalisation also have environmental impacts contributing to excess carbon emissions.14
  • Globally, 20–60% of patients with severe or uncontrolled asthma have received long-term OCS;14 cumulative and chronic exposure to OCS is associated with an increased risk of side effects in patients, such as osteoporosis, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and psychiatric disorders.7,15–17

Improved disease stability and consideration of remission as a management goal for patients living with asthma remains a long-term aspiration to improve patient care.18,19

1. Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Global strategy for asthma management and prevention. 2024. Available from: https://ginasthma.org/2024-report/ (Accessed August 2024); 2. Global Asthma Network. The global asthma report 2022. Available from: http://globalasthmareport.org/resources/Global_Asthma_Report_2022.pdf (Accessed August 2024); 3. Rogliani P, et al. Pulm Ther. 2020;6:47–66; 4. Wang E, et al. Chest. 2020;157:790–804; 5. Trevor J, et al. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2021;127:579–587; 6. Ambrose CS, et al. Pragmat Obs Res. 2020;11:77–90; 7. Price DB, et al. J Asthma Allergy. 2018;11:193–204; 8. Chen H, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007;120:396–402; 9. Busse WW, Kraft M. Eur Respir Rev. 2022;31:210176; 10. Chen S, et al. Curr Med Res Opin. 2018;34:2075–2088; 11. Nunes C, et al. Asthma Res Pract. 2017:3:1; 12. Stubbs MA, et al. J Asthma Allergy. 2021;14:1527–1537; 13. Stanescu S, et al. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. 2019 Oct 21;29(1):37; 14. Usmani OS, Levy ML. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. 2023;33(1):24; 15. Bleecker ER, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2020;201:276–293; 16. Canonica GW, et al. World Allergy Organ J. 2019;12:100007; 17. Volmer T, et al. Eur Respir J. 2018;52(4):1800703; 18. Menzies-Gow A, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020;145:757–765; 19. Thomas D, et al. Eur Respir J. 2022;60:2102583.

Overview of severe asthma

Asthma affects approximately 262 million people worldwide,2 of whom ~5–10% have severe or uncontrolled asthma.3

Severe asthma is defined by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) as a subset of difficult-to-treat asthma that remains uncontrolled despite adherence with maximal optimised high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) therapy and the treatment of contributory factors, or asthma that worsens when high-dose therapy is decreased.4

Video: Watch Professor Louis-Philippe Boulet introduce the unmet needs in patients with severe asthma (03:01)

The long-term goals of severe asthma management include achieving good symptom control and minimising the future risk of exacerbations and disease progression (eg, decline of lung function and persistent airflow limitation). In many cases where patients have poor symptom control and/or exacerbations despite medium- or high-dose ICS and LABA therapy, their asthma may appear difficult-to-treat because of contributory factors, such as incorrect inhaler technique, poor adherence, smoking or comorbidities, or because of incorrect diagnosis.4 For these patients, GINA recommends assessment of these contributory factors and consideration of an add-on therapy, eg a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA).4 If problems persist, referral to a specialist centre for phenotypic assessment and consideration for add-on biologic targeted treatments are recommended.4 Even though there is guidance on when patients with asthma should be referred to a specialist, a large proportion of patients are not referred despite experiencing poor symptom control.5 Referral to specialist care is associated with a substantial impact on disease prognosis and patient health status.6 In the UK, 4% of patients who were eligible for specialist care and only 22% of patients in the US were referred.5,6 While 41% of patients with severe asthma in Germany were referred to a pulmonologist, 89% of the population were receiving long-term oral corticosteroids (OCS), despite the side effects and recommendations against such therapy.7

Want to find out more about identification of patients who may be eligible for referral? Explore ReferID, our Asthma Referral Identifier tool here.

Confirming the diagnosis of asthma, assessing contributory factors and optimising treatment strategy are the key steps for consideration in the diagnosis and management of severe asthma.4 Preventing exacerbations is important in the treatment of asthma and being able to identify and proactively treat at risk patients forms a central component of this strategy.8 Many tools can be used to assess the  risk of exacerbation e.g., Asthma Control Questionnaire (AIRQ), which is a composite measure of asthma control based on a series of yes/no questions answered by the patient, and ReferID+, a digital tool used to review patients with asthma which has led to improved clinical outcomes including fewer exacerbations.9–11

To date, there has been great progress in the diagnosis and management of severe asthma,12,13 with biologics representing a major advancement in the treatment landscape.14 However, many patients with severe asthma are still poorly controlled.15

Sub-optimal control of severe asthma 

A study found that approximately 60% of patients with severe asthma remained sub-optimally controlled despite treatment with standard-of-care medications.15 This significant finding was described following a retrospective and prospective analysis of the International Severe Asthma Registry – a data set of 4990 patients receiving GINA Step 5 treatment or with severe asthma remaining uncontrolled at GINA Step 4 (December 2014 to December 2017). Poorly controlled asthma was defined in this study according to Asthma Control Test (score 5–15; ‘very poorly controlled’) or Asthma Control Questionnaire (score >1.5; ‘poorly controlled’) categorisations.15

Healthcare resource utilisation and specifically OCS use is higher among patients with uncontrolled asthma.16 Sub-optimal management of patients can also influence the likelihood of hospital readmissions. 9.2% and 4.7% of patients in the US and UK, respectively, who had an asthma-related emergency department (ED) visit or hospitalisation, were re-admitted within 30 days.17 In Canada, nearly 20% of patients with asthma were readmitted into the ED within 30 days following an initial asthma-related ED visit.18 Readmissions were associated with increased disease severity, exacerbation frequency and a higher GINA step.17 Many patients are prescribed SCS when attending the ED with an exacerbation.19

To find out more about the current burden and guidelines of severe asthma in the ED, click here.

Video: Watch Professor Christopher Brightling describe how many patients with severe asthma remain poorly controlled (01:18)

Impact of poorly controlled severe asthma

Below is an example of a typical patient with severe asthma. Despite adherence to daily ICS-LABA treatment, he continues to experience symptoms that hinder his daily life and remains susceptible to severe exacerbations.

EpiCentral_Global_Mod 1_Case study_03Feb2022

Unmet needs faced by a patient with severe asthma

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Sub-optimal asthma control can have a significant impact on patient outcomes:

  • Exacerbations potentially leading to hospitalisation occur in 12–27% of patients with severe asthma in a year.15,20,21
  • Frequent exacerbations are associated with disease severity, increased asthma-related hospital re-admissions and increased systemic corticosteroid exposure.17,19,22
  • Increased risk of comorbidities and systemic side effects (eg, pneumonia, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes) associated with frequent bursts of oral corticosteroids.23,24
  • Poor quality of life (eg, activity limitation, depression/anxiety).25,26
  • Increased risk of mortality.27

Beyond the implications for patients, sub-optimal asthma control has wider implications:

  • Healthcare costs associated with severe uncontrolled asthma are 3× higher than costs for patients with severe controlled disease.28
  • Absenteeism represented by an average of 13 working days lost following a hospital admission due to an asthma exacerbation, while 5.6 days are lost following an asthma exacerbation treated at home.29
  • The environmental impact of asthma treatment resulting from an overuse of inhalers and increased hospitalisations following asthma exacerbations.30

Challenges associated with existing treatments for poorly controlled asthma

OCS are the primary therapy for resolution of acute exacerbations.32 However, patients with severe asthma are often exposed to multiple courses of OCS,33 and cumulative and chronic exposure is associated with an increased risk of side effects.6,34,35 In 93% of patients with severe asthma, morbidities related to potential corticosteroid use have been identified.36 Many OCS-related morbidities (eg, osteoporosis, diabetes and hypertension) are associated with decreased lung function and reduced asthma control.37 As little as 0.5–1 g (or up to four short courses) of OCS can cause serious adverse effects, including cataracts, pneumonia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal impairment and osteoporosis.6 Increased OCS exposure was also associated with increased risk of mortality.38

Globally, 20–60% of patients with severe or uncontrolled asthma have received long-term OCS.34 The annual cost of OCS-related adverse events per person with severe asthma is estimated to be €1958, in Italy.35 On a population level the cost of OCS-related adverse events to the Italian National Health System is €243 million annually.35 Corticosteroid use was also associated with higher healthcare resource utilisation.39 Updated GINA guidelines recommend minimising OCS use and only using short courses of OCS for patients with an acute asthma exacerbation.4

As such, there is a clear need to avoid maintenance OCS treatment where other options are available (in line with updated recommendations by GINA4) and to continue to develop and identify alternative steroid-sparing treatments for asthma exacerbations and for patients with severe asthma.6 To protect patients from the potential harm of SCS use, a structured and collaborative SCS stewardship approach is required.40

To find out more about oral corticosteroid stewardship, click here to view the oral corticosteroid stewardship infographic and an overview of oral corticosteroid use in severe asthma.

Video: Watch Professor Andrew Menzies-Gow ​discuss the risks of adverse events associated with​ OCS use for patients with severe asthma (00:54)

Asthma is heterogeneous; patients often show activation of multiple innate and adaptive inflammatory pathways.41–43 This contributes to a significant unmet need in the management of severe uncontrolled asthma.4 Targeting specific steps of the immune-inflammatory cascade through highly selective biologic therapies offers the potential of achieving optimal disease control in several severe asthma inflammatory phenotypes.1

To learn more about the heterogeneity of severe asthma, please click here.

However, major unmet needs persist owing to lack of access and inadequate response to or ineligibility for currently available biologic treatments.1

Indeed, 72% of patients with asthma in primary care in the UK, who are thought to have severe asthma, have never been referred to a specialist.44 Globally, approximately 75% of patients with poorly controlled severe asthma (GINA Step 4/5) are not receiving biologics.15

Summary of current challenges in the diagnosis and management of severe asthma.

Current challenges of severe asthma

Summary of current challenges in the diagnosis and management of severe asthma.

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For patients living with asthma, improved disease stability and consideration of remission as an attainable treatment goal remains a long-term aspiration to improve patient care.45,46

Find out more about the EpiCreator – Louis-Philippe Boulet

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Complexity of severe asthma

Professor Christopher Brightling, PhD, FMedSci

To learn more about the complex inflammatory pathways and phenotypes in severe asthma, visit the ‘Complexity of severe asthma’ page.

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References
1. Caminati M, et al. J Asthma Allergy. 2021;14:457–466; 2. Global Asthma Network. The global asthma report 2022. Available from: http://globalasthmareport.org/resources/Global_Asthma_Report_2022.pdf (Accessed August 2024); 3. Rogliani P, et al. Pulm Ther. 2020;6:47–66; 4. Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Global strategy for asthma management and prevention. 2024. Available from: https://ginasthma.org/2024-report/ (Accessed May 2024); 5. Blakely JD, et al. BMJ Open. 2019;9:e031740; 6. Price D, et al. J Asthma Allergy. 2017;10:209-223; 7. Hardtstock F, et al. J Asthma. 2023;60(7):1280-1289; 8. Castillo JR, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2017;5(4):918-927; 9. Murphy KR, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020;8(7):2263-2274.e5; 10. Beuther DA, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2022;10(12):3204-3212.e2; 11. Dhruve H, et al. Thorax. 2023;78:A66; 12. Charriot J, et al. Eur Respir Rev. 2016;25:77–92; 13. Zervas E, et al. ERJ Open Res. 2018;4:00125–02017; 14. Djukanovic R, et al. Eur Respir J. 2018;52:1801671; 15. Wang E, et al. Chest. 2020;157:790–804; 16. Sadatsafavi M, et al. Can Respir J. 2010;17(2):74-80; 17. Suruki RY, et al. BMC Pulm Med. 2017;17:74; 18. Mayers I, et al. Eur Respir J. 2022;60(Suppl66):2306; 19. Halner A, et al. PLoS One. 2021;16:e0254425; 20. Soong W, et al. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2020;125:S27 (Abstract P203); 21. Ambrose CS, et al. Pragmat Obs Res. 2020;11:77–90; 22. Jackson DJ, Bacharier LB. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2021;127(5):524-529; 23. Pavord ID. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2019;25:51–58; 24. Price DB, et al. J Asthma Allergy. 2018;11:193–204; 25. Chen H, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007;120:396–402; 26. Stubbs MA, et al. J Asthma Allergy. 2021;14:1527–1537; 27. Busse WW, Kraft M. Eur Respir Rev. 2022;31:210176; 28. Chen S, et al. Curr Med Res Opin. 2018;34:2075–2088; 29. Nunes C, et al. Asthma Res Pract. 2017;3:1; 30. Usmani OS, Levy ML. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. 2023;33(1):24; 31. Tran TN, et al, ATS abstract 2024; 32. Chung LP, et al. Respirology. 2020;25:161–172; 33. Papapostolou G, et al. Eur Clin Respir J. 2020;8:1856024; 34. Bleecker ER, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2020;201:276–293; 35. Canonica GW, et al. World Allergy Organ J. 2019;12:100007; 36. Sweeney J, et al. Thorax. 2016;71:339–346; 37. Scelo G, et al. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2024;132(1):42-53; 38. Skov IR, et al. Eur Respir J. 2022;15;60:2103054; 39. Voorham J, et al. Allergy. 2019;74:273–283; 40. Bleecker ER, et al. World Allergy Organ J. 2022;15:100726; 41. Canonica G. Biomarker relatability in the International Severe Asthma Network. Oral presentation at WAC, Lyon, France 12–14 December 2019 (Abstract OC35); 42. Tran TN, et al. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2016;116:37–42; 43. Kupczyk M, et al. Allergy. 2014;69:1198–1204; 44. Heatley H, et al. Eur Respir J. 2019;54:PA2712; 45. Menzies-Gow A, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020;145(3):757-765; 46. Thomas D, et al. Eur Respir J. 2022;60(5):2102583.