The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is sharing this press release from the 2022 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting to bring you the latest research news. This year's meeting was held Feb. 25 - 28.

[PRESS RELEASE]

Tezepelumab Reduces Asthma Exacerbations in Patients with Severe, Uncontrolled Asthma Regardless of Season

New research from the 2022 AAAAI Annual Meeting examines if the time of year affects the effectiveness of the new biologic.

Milwaukee, WI – Adults and adolescents with severe, uncontrolled asthma treated with tezepelumab experienced fewer asthma exacerbations throughout all seasons of the year compared to the placebo, according to a recent study that will be presented at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

“We know that different seasons can impact asthma severity and control,” said Flavia C. L. Hoyte, MD, primary author of the study. “This promising data confirms that tezepelumab is effective not only regardless of asthma phenotype, but also regardless of the season. For patients with uncontrolled, severe asthma, it is vital to have effective medications that can improve symptoms at all times of year.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in December, approved Tezspire (tezepelumab-ekko) injection as an add-on maintenance treatment to improve severe asthma symptoms when used with a patient’s current asthma medicine. It’s the first treatment for severe asthma without biomarker or phenotypic limitation.

These results come from a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study called NAVIGATOR. Patients between the ages of 12 and 80 were randomized 1:1 to receive tezepelumab or a placebo subcutaneously every four weeks over the course of 52 weeks. Researchers examined the annualized asthma exacerbation rate (AAER) and number of patients without exacerbations on a season by season basis.

Of 1,059 patients in the study, 528 received tezepelumab and 531 received the placebo. When compared with the placebo, tezepelumab reduced the AAER by 63% in winter, 46% in spring, 62% in summer and 54% in fall. Patients who took tezepelumab had fewer asthma exacerbations in winter (81.7% vs 66.6%), spring (84.3% vs 76.3%), summer (86.8% vs 73.1%) and fall (79.4% vs 66.6%). For consistency, data from patients in the Southern Hemisphere was altered to align with Northern Hemisphere seasons.

Visit aaaai.org to learn more about asthma. Research presented at the AAAAI Annual Meeting, February 25-28 in Phoenix, Arizona, is published in an online supplement to The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) is the leading membership organization of more than 7,100 allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. The AAAAI is the go-to resource for patients living with allergies, asthma and immune deficiency disorders. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has more than 7,100 members in the United States, Canada and 72 other countries. The AAAAI’s Find an Allergist/Immunologist service is a trusted resource to help you find a specialist close to home.

Contact:
April Presnell
apresnell@aaaai.org
AAAAI Executive Office: (414) 272-6071