Sometimes, routine asthma controller medicines – such as inhalers – aren’t enough to help manage asthma symptoms. If you have moderate-to-severe asthma and your medicines aren’t helping, a biologic treatment may be an option for you.

What Are Biologic Treatments?

Biologic drugs (or biologics) are a kind of medicine that is made by living things, such as animals, plants, or bacteria. Many of these biologics are antibodies, which are proteins that are designed to block specific molecules (tiny particles) in the human body.

Asthma biologics work by disrupting cells or blocking specific molecules that trigger inflammation in your airways.

Do I Need to Take a Biologic for My Asthma?

Biologics are a type of controller treatment. Your doctor may prescribe one if you have moderate-to-severe asthma that remains uncontrolled even though you use your routine inhaled medicines or pills regularly.

Your asthma may be uncontrolled if:

• You have asthma symptoms more than two times a week
• You wake up at night with asthma symptoms more than two times a month
• You need your reliever inhaler for symptoms more than two times a week
• You need to take oral corticosteroids more than one time a year
• You are not able to do all your usual activities
  
  

Biologics are an add-on treatment. This means your doctor may have you take them with your routine asthma controller medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. Over time, you may be able to reduce your inhaled corticosteroid use or stop taking it altogether. Asthma biologics do not replace quick-relief medicines, such as albuterol.

What Are the Benefits of Biologics?

There are many potential benefits of using a biologic to treat your asthma. They include:

• Fewer asthma episodes and symptoms
• Fewer asthma-related trips to the hospital or emergency room
• Decreased use of oral corticosteroids (like prednisone)
• Lower dosage of other controller medicines (if recommended by your doctor)
• Improved lung function
  
  

What Should I Do If I Think I Need a Biologic for My Asthma?

If your asthma is not well-controlled with your current treatment, talk with your doctor. Ask them if a biologic could work for you. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved six biologics for asthma, so you and your doctor may be able to find a treatment that works for you.

Some biologics for asthma are also approved for other conditions, such as atopic dermatitis (a type of eczema) or chronic spontaneous urticaria (a type of chronic hives).

The six biologics currently approved for asthma in the U.S. are:

• Omalizumab (XOLAIR®)
• Mepolizumab (NUCALA®)
• Benralizumab (FASENRA®)
• Reslizumab (CINQAIR®)
• Dupilumab (DUPIXENT®)
• Tezepelumab-ekko (TEZSPIRE®)
  
  

Learn more about biologics for asthma.

Medical Review: Content summarized from Biologics for the Treatment of Asthma which was reviewed November 2023 by Mitchell Grayson, MD

Education, support, advocacy, and research are vital to improving health outcomes for people with asthma, allergies, and related conditions.

For 70 years, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has served as a trusted ally for the asthma and allergy community. With your support and engagement, AAFA:

• Advocates for public policies that ensure people with asthma and allergies have high-quality health care, access to treatment options, and live in healthy environments.
• Conducts and supports research that puts patients’ needs first.
• Connects people to financial, social, and emotional support.
• And helps save lives through health education programs.

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Today, we are honored to share the inspiring stories of individuals whose lives have been changed because of their involvement with us.

Building Confidence: Lisa’s Experience with Community Support

Lisa joined the AAFA support community when her asthma was not under control to help her learn more about her disease and how to manage it. What she gained from joining the community was a safe place to learn and connect with others for emotional, social, and financial support.

“What’s great about the community is it welcomes all comers, regardless of how long they’ve had the disease, the questions they need answers to, how well their condition is controlled…It also welcomes families and caregivers.

Together we are stronger, more informed, and better equipped to gain control of our asthma and make it a conquerable illness that we live with, not something that defines us nor limits what we can do.”

Championing Change: Jodi’s Journey to Self-Empowerment

Jodi became an advocate after her son had a severe asthma attack at a young age. She hopes to bring the community’s voice into critical policy issues and raise support and attention to an important cause.

“Through my advocacy efforts for AAFA, I found purpose and a renewed sense of empowerment, not to mention the invaluable support of a community that understood the challenges firsthand. Whether it’s connecting a parent with educational resources or raising money and awareness for more asthma and allergy research.

Advocacy - at its heart - is a simple commitment to bringing support and attention to a cause or set of values. Sometimes just shining a light on your own story and handing the light off to the next person is the most powerful thing we can do.”

Empowering Wellness: Nacho’s Experience with Informed Decision-Making

Leo, “Nacho” was hospitalized at the age of 6 due to a severe asthma attack. Ever since he had frequent trips to the hospital, mostly during the spring and fall seasons. After he received an eosinophilic asthma diagnosis, he and his mom went to the AAFA website to see what information they could find to help manage his asthma. Nacho uses AAFA’s educational resources, and the treatment plan he developed with his doctor to manage his asthma so he can play his favorite sport.

“As I grew older, mom and I went to the website a lot to learn about the newest insights on the root cause of my illness as well as new treatments and “tricks” to manage it better. I realized how important that information is because the more I knew, the better my management was, the greater I felt. I’m not a sick kid. I’m a kid with a sickness.

Knowledge is power and I believe that it’s the timely source of the newest and best information AAFA shared - along with the support of a very empowering specialist - that I can play soccer, a sport the doctors in Denver said I would likely never play. Without science and educational resources that bolster my asthma management, I would be telling a very different story.”

Fostering Better Health: Abbey’s Reflections on the Power of the Patient Voice in Research

Abbey manages asthma, multiple food and environmental allergies, and eosinophilic esophagitis for herself and her family. She comes to AAFA for the tools they need to manage their conditions today and build a brighter tomorrow through engagement in research.

“My children and I have participated in several patient impact studies conducted by AAFA and KFA and can attest to their thoroughness and excellence. Not only were we given the opportunity to share our concerns and fears, but we were also able to read the final reports and see how many others have similar feelings and experiences…

My sons feel more confident in their future medical care because of these programs and studies. We are hopeful, too, that the future will bring innovative treatments that not only improve their health but their lives.”

These testimonials show the transformative power of research, education, support, and advocacy.

Together, let's build a world where research leads to understanding, education and support foster confidence, and advocacy brings about the change we all aspire to see.

What would you do if a chronic condition caused you to visit the emergency room (ER) as many as 100 times in your life?

Most people would give up any hope of a better quality of life.

That’s where June Mack of Detroit was when she received an invitation to take part in a new health education program.

At 70 years old, June guesses she’s been to the ER at least 100 times because of her asthma.

She came to accept ER visits as a part of life. She also accepted that there would always be something new or unexpected that would trigger her asthma.

Asthma’s Impact

Just doing basic tasks – walking up stairs, spending time outside, even talking – all became challenging for June when her asthma made breathing a struggle.

June says she never knew asthma was a lifelong, chronic condition that affected all facets of her life. She always thought she’d outgrow the disease. Instead, she found herself facing new challenges with asthma at each stage of her life.

With regular ER visits happening many times a year, June’s life was often interrupted by her asthma.

The Invitation

Then in 2022, June was invited to join the HEAL program.

HEAL stands for Health Equity Advancement and Leadership. It’s a program of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) designed to help reach people facing the highest burden of asthma.

HEAL provides asthma education and home visits to address asthma triggers. HEAL also connects people to asthma specialists to help improve asthma control.

June accepted the invitation. For the first time in her life, she saw a specialist who helped manage her asthma and allergies.

Detroit’s Challenge

Heavy air pollution is a top concern for Detroit residents. Detroit is ranked the #5 most challenging place to live with asthma in AAFA’s Asthma Capitals™ 2023 report.

Detroit has higher than average asthma prevalence and a higher rate of deaths due to asthma than other cities in AAFA’s report.

Also, people who bear the greatest burden of asthma are  least likely to have access to specialists and asthma education.

HEAL aims to change that by working with community health workers (CHWs) in cities like Detroit. The program provides both educational materials and access to specialists.

The goal is to give people with asthma the tools they need for successful self-management of their condition. This could include medicines, help identifying and managing triggers, and an Asthma Action Plan tailored to their specific needs.

June Found Hope

June’s case shows that proactive asthma education and support can have a meaningful impact.

The HEAL program helped June find a new life. As June said, “Asthma can’t stop me now!”

Welcome to our November research update! Getting involved with research is an important way to impact asthma and allergy treatments, education, and awareness.

This month, we are highlighting clinical trials, interviews, focus groups, and news on:

• Asthma
• Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES)
• Sesame labeling
• CSU
• Research updates from the 2023 American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting

Interviews and Focus Groups

Research Opportunity: Caregivers for Children with Asthma

A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student at Regis College is recruiting for a project about caregivers and how well they cope with mental health symptoms while caring for a child with asthma. Your participation may help other caregivers like you. To be eligible, you must:

• Have a child of any age with a diagnosis of asthma who requires albuterol or steroid inhalers for management
• Be 18 years of age or older
  
  

You will be asked to complete a one-time, 15-minute survey about yourself and participate in a one-hour interview over Zoom in a group setting. You will be given a $10 Amazon e-gift card at the completion of this project.

If you have any questions, please contact Timarra Warren by email or phone at: twar860@regiscollege.edu or 470-541-8440

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Share Your Thoughts on the Effects of Sesame Labeling

If you or someone you provide care for has a sesame allergy, we would like to ask you about recent sesame allergen labeling legislation. A project at the University of South Carolina is compiling stories to describe the impact of the FASTER Act on people managing sesame allergies.

Contact Richie Holmberg at the University of South Carolina for more information and to participate in this study: holmberr@email.sc.edu.

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Now Recruiting Participants for Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) Interviews

AAFA is looking for people who manage chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) to interview for a research project. The interview will provide an opportunity for you to share your firsthand experiences and needs when managing CSU. Collected feedback will help AAFA develop and improve our CSU resources.

The discussion should take about 30-45 minutes and can be scheduled at your convenience. If you are chosen to participate in an interview, we will provide a $50 gift card for your time. If you would like to participate in an interview, please take this quick survey to see if you are eligible.

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Stay in the loop – get news and research updates straight to your inbox with our e-newsletters.

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For 70 years the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has provided trusted information to help the asthma and allergy community improve their health and have a voice in decisions that affect their lives.

Thanks to your generous donations and engagement, we:

• Offered a record number of health education programs.
• Issued groundbreaking reports.
• Advocated for protections to safeguard people’s health.
• Grew our reach to raise awareness about asthma and allergy management.

Below are some of the ways you made a difference to people living with and managing asthma, allergies, and related conditions this year.

IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES

AAFA ‘s Health Equity Advancement and Leadership (HEAL) program improves the quality of life for people with asthma and allergies by addressing health disparities in communities with a large burden of these diseases. As part of AAFA’s HEAL program, AAFA awards funding and technical assistance to local interventions serving at-risk populations.

Two of our major achievements to advance health equity in 2023 included:

• Awarding two new HEAL Awards in New York and Alabama to fund critical asthma programs in these communities.
• Providing funding and assistance to HEAL programs in Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, and St. Louis to improve asthma outcomes.

AAFA offered a record number of educational programs on asthma, food allergies, eosinophilic esophagitis, atopic dermatitis, chronic spontaneous urticaria and nasal polyps. This means we are able to help more people than ever become knowledgeable on how to best manage asthma and allergic diseases:

• 7,441 people attended our educational programs for people who live with or manage these chronic conditions.
• Nearly 8,200 health care professionals attended our continuing education programs on treating asthma and allergic conditions.

Common misconceptions, myths, and misinformation persist about asthma and allergies in the general public. This can lead to poor health, and in some cases, tragic results. AAFA effectively raised public awareness about asthma and allergic diseases through a series of public service announcements and outreach to the media:

• AAFA aired national television broadcasts to raise awareness about childhood asthma, allergic asthma, respiratory infections, and indoor air quality. These 2-minute PSAs aired in 289 markets reaching 176 million homes.
• During September, the peak month for asthma, AAFA was featured in a media tour appearing on 8 TV segments, 3 radio segments, and 5 websites to reach people in 7 of the 2023 Asthma Capitals.
• AAFA’s educational messages on how the environment and systems impact asthma and allergy management reach a large audience. For example, our messages on the connection between climate and health reached almost 4 billion potential views. Our health disparities messaging reached almost 2 billion views.

AAFA provided personalized support to help people in the everyday management of asthma and allergies by providing resources and support to over 57,000 people on our two online support communities. AAFA also responded to 1,228 inquiries submitted to AAFA’s Support Center and 268 questions submitted to AAFA’s Ask the Allergist service.

ELEVATING COMMUNITY VOICES

AAFA is committed to bringing your voice to the forefront of research and educating people who live with and manage asthma and allergic conditions about ways they can get involved. Elevating community voices is important so that treatments and policies address the needs of the people they intend to serve.

Patient engagement in research is one of the most valuable ways to advance treatments for asthma and allergic diseases. In 2023, AAFA recruited for 16 different research studies and clinical trials .

AAFA published research manuscripts, presented posters at medical conferences, and produced reports from our studies. Major publications included:

• Life with EoE: The Patient Experience and Opportunities for Improve Care in the US. This groundbreaking study report revealed the challenges to timely diagnosis and effective treatment and management of a rare, but increasing allergic condition known as eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).
• Factors Associated with Epinephrine Use in the Treatment of Anaphylaxis in Infants and Toddlers in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. This study highlights the importance of anaphylaxis action plans for infants and toddlers.
• AAFA presented five posters at medical conferences, highlighting the importance of patient and healthcare provider education.

AAFA published the annual Allergy Capitals™ and Asthma Capitals™ reports, which rank the 100 most populated cities in the continental U.S. by factors that make it challenging to live with seasonal allergies and asthma. These reports also raised awareness on important topics that impact allergy and asthma management.

• The 2023 Allergy Capitals™ report highlighted three topics related to seasonal allergies: self-care for allergic rhinitis, pollen counts, and the connection between climate change and allergies.
• The 2023 Asthma Capitals™ highlighted information on Asthma Peak Month, health disparities, and steps people can take to improve health outcomes in their communities.

ADVOCACY

AAFA engaged a strong network of nearly 1,000 asthma and allergy advocates to raise awareness of the needs and interests of the asthma and allergy community.

Our major advocacy achievements include:

• Organized an Advocacy Action Day to encourage AAFA community members to contact their state legislators to share the impact of asthma and allergies and highlight what people with asthma and allergies need to live healthy and full lives.
• Convened a Hill Day for AAFA’s Board of Directors to meet with their senators and congress people to share AAFA’s 2023 priorities, including the National Asthma Control Program (NACP) and the Protecting Children with Food Allergies Act.
• Co-hosted a congressional briefing called “The Case for Mandatory Alcohol Labeling” with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), and the National Consumers League (NCL).
• Co-hosted a National Public Health Advocacy Week with the Climate Action Campaign (CAC) and the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN). Advocates participated in over 70 meetings on Capitol Hill and with key agency staff to express support for clean air policies to protect our health and advance environmental justice.

AAFA educated public officials on the challenges of living with asthma and allergies. For example, AAFA:

• Testified before EPA numerous times this year in support of strong and protective standards for dangerous air pollutants from various sources like power plants, cars, and trucks.
• Presented at a congressional briefing on EPA’s proposed car and truck emissions standards, highlighting the health benefits of strong standards for people with asthma and allergies.
• Promoted clean air policies before Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• Encouraged the EPA and Congress to support policies and funding to promote safe environments for children in school.
• Represented the patient perspective to FDA throughout the year on issues like sesame labeling implementation, the need for options like epinephrine nasal spray, and in support of COVID-19 and RSV vaccines.

SUMMARY OF AAFA’S IMPACT ON ASTHMA AND ALLERGIES IN 2023: