Dr. Jorge Maspero on the Impact of Dupilumab on Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps

Severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps is a condition that can lead to congestion, pressure, inflammation, and general pains and anxiety. It has also led to a loss-of-taste among many patients.

However, recent developments in the study of the monoclonal antibody dupilumab showed improvements on the loss-of-taste of participants with severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

In an interview with HCPLive, Dr. Jorge Maspero, clinical research director for allergy and respiratory medicine at Fundacion Cidea, spoke of the complications of the condition in patients, such as the congestion, rhinorrhea, changes in sleep patterns and even changes in patients’ voices due to alterations in the resonance of the upper airway.

“One thing I want to point out is that more than 90% of the population we studied had either received surgery or corticosteroids in the past years, or both,” Maspero said. “So, this also adds to the burden of (the condition).”

Maspero added that most patients in the study had relapses in their condition after multiple surgeries, further highlighting the severity of severe chronic rhinosinusitis.

“The loss of smell associates with depression and anxiety, but also the loss-of-taste comes with it," Maspero said. "Not everyone who has (chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps) had such severe affection of their taste, but many (did). It’s something that keeps increasing with the years. So, if you had nasal polyps for 20 years you’ll probably end without taste at the end of your journey.”

Despite the struggles some patients face and the time and complexity of some of the previous treatments of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, Maspero was optimistic about the future of dupilumab in the management of the condition.

During the study, Maspero and colleagues attempted to mitigate the physical and emotional stress in their patients with dupilumab. The most recent trials suggested that the monoclonal antibody could aid in recovering a sense of smell and taste as well as slight reductions of polyp size.

Research showed that more than 60% of the patients showed an improvement in their loss-of-taste severity for at least 1 point at weeks 24 and 52 of the trials.