Tezepelumab in the Treatment of Uncontrolled Severe Asthma

Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Ahead of Print.
Objective:To review the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of subcutaneous tezepelumab in the treatment of severe uncontrolled asthma.Data Sources:The PubMed database and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched using the following terms: tezepelumab, Tezspire, AMG157, and MEDI9929.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Articles published in English between January 2000 and March 2022 related to pharmacology, safety, and clinical trials were assessed.Data Synthesis:In a phase 2 trial, tezepelumab at low, medium, and high doses reduced the annualized asthma exacerbation rate by 62%, 71%, and 66%, respectively, when compared with placebo (P < 0.001). In addition to significant reduction of asthma exacerbation rate in the overall treatment population, a phase 3 trial showed significant reduction of asthma exacerbation across all subgroups analyzed regardless of serum eosinophil count (EOS), fractionated exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) level, or allergic status as determined by IgE sensitivity.Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice:Tezepelumab is indicated to treat nonallergic and noneosinophilic severe uncontrolled asthma phenotypes in addition to type 2 inflammatory asthma. When selecting the most appropriate biologic agent, consider the risks, benefits, and costs. There is a paucity of data on the efficacy of tezepelumab in patients with comorbid conditions. In the case of a patient presenting with uncontrolled severe asthma with such comorbid conditions, it may be prudent to consider a biologic therapy that can target both.Conclusion:Tezepelumab has shown clinical utility in severe uncontrolled asthma regardless of phenotype, fulfilling the need for treatment options in individuals with severe, uncontrolled, noneosinophilic, and nonallergic asthma.