A comparison of biologicals in the treatment of adults with severe asthma – real-life experiences

Table 2 Controller medication of asthma patients before anti-IL5/IL5R and anti-IgE therapy

Controller medication before biologicals	Anti-IL5/IL5R (reslizumab, mepolizumab or benralizumab), n = 42	Anti-IgE (omalizumab), n = 22
ICS daily dose (number, (%)) ^a
High	41 (98)	20 (91)
Intermediate	1 (2)	2 (9)
Low	0 (0)	0 (0)
Daily use of long acting beta-agonist (number, (%))	41 (98)	19 (86)
Daily use of theophylline (number, (%))^b	7 (17)	7 (32)
Daily use of montelukast (number, (%)) ^c	30 (71)	13 (59)
Daily use of long-acting anticholinergic (number, (%))	27 (64)	15 (68)
Daily use of one asthma controller medication in addition to ICS (number, (%))	7 (17)	4 (18)
Daily use of two or more asthma controller medications in addition to ICS (number, (%))	35 (83)	18 (82)
Daily use of OCS (number, (%))	30 (71)	10 (45)

^aICS = inhaled corticosteroid. For beclomethasone and budesonide: low dose 0–399 μg/day, intermediate dose 400–799 μg/day and high dose 800 μg/day or more, for fluticasone low dose 0–249 μg/day, intermediate dose 250–499 μg/day and high dose 500 μg/day or more, and for ciclesonide low dose 0–159 μg/day, intermediate dose 160–319 μg/day and high dose 320 μg/day or more. The ICS daily dose was defined as the dose prior to initiation of biological therapy
^bAdditionally, 3 patients in the reslizumab group, 5 patients in the mepolizumab group and 3 patients in the omalizumab group had received theophylline earlier but discontinued it because of lack of response or side effects
^cAdditionally, 1 patient in the reslizumab group, 3 patients in the mepolizumab group and 6 patients in the omalizumab group had received montelukast earlier but discontinued it because of lack of response or side effects

ISSN: 2054-7064