Tezepelumab Benefits Severe, Uncontrolled Asthma in Phase 3 NAVIGATOR Findings

Tezepelumab, an investigative monoclonal antibody therapy that inhibits the thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), was associated with clinically meaningful exacerbation reductions among patients with severe asthma at varied eosinophil counts in new phase 3 data.

Results from the NAVIGATOR trial, presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) 2021 Virtual Sessions, show tezepelumab also reduced the risk of hospitalization or emergency department visits over 52 weeks in treated patients versus placebo.

The newest findings for the subcutaneous novel pathway asthma treatment further evidence its benefit for patients suffering from severe, uncontrolled disease.

In an interview with HCPLive, study author Andrew Menzies-Gow, BSc, MBBS, PhD, deputy medical director at the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, discussed the NAVIGATOR findings, and their preceded research of tezepelumab in this key patient population.

Menzies-Gow also discussed the characteristics of severe, uncontrolled asthma, and how a TSLP inhibitor therapy may significantly influence the disease course.

“The excitement around tezepelumab is really around its unique mechanism of action,” he explained. “With tezepelumab, we’re targeting TSLP—so we’re going upstream, we’re looking at one of the epithelial-derived cytokines, which really drives all the downstream inflammation.”

Menzies-Gow also discussed the pursuit of optimal biologic treatment duration for severe asthma, and how this last year’s greater reliance on monoclonal antibodies in the face of COVID-19 may effect the allergic and inflammatory specialty.

“Looking into the future, the next advance might be moving away from injectable biologics to inhaled biologics,” Menzies-Gow said. “That might be the way forward, to let more people have a biologic.”

The study, “Efficacy and safety of tezepelumab in adults and adolescents with severe, uncontrolled asthma: results from the phase 3 NAVIGATOR study,” was presented at AAAAI 2021.