Welcome to our February 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, surveys, and news on:
- Eosinophilic asthma
- Nasal polyps
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) treatments
- Montelukast and children’s mental health
- Antibiotics and asthma
- Biologics for asthma
- Asthma caregivers’ quality of life
Note: The links below will take you to external websites.
Clinical Trials
Eosinophilic Asthma Research Study Enrolling Adults and Children
We are seeking volunteers for a paid research study that seeks to improve the way we treat severe asthma. This new study seeks to evaluate the safety of the investigational drug dexpramipexole (also called “Dex”) and how well it works for the treatment of this chronic condition.
Qualified participants must:
- Be 12 years and up
- Have a physician diagnosis of asthma at least a year ago
- Must be taking at least one medium to high dose maintenance inhaler daily, with another asthma medication
- Have had at least 2 asthma exacerbations requiring treatment with steroids in the past year
Participants will be compensated for time and travel for visits, and study-related doctor’s visits and study assessments are at no cost to you.
Discover new ways to breathe easier and live better.
Sponsored by Science37
Would You Like to Participant in a Nasal Polyp Clinical Study?
Have you been diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and your symptoms not well controlled with standard available treatments? If so, this clinical study may be looking for participants like you.
This clinical study is called Duet ACT18207. It is being done to test an investigational study drug, lunsekimig, to see if it is safe and effective as a treatment for CRSwNP. This is an injectable solution and patients who enroll will either receive lunsekimig or placebo injections every 4 weeks during the 6 months of the study treatment period.
Sponsored by Sanofi
Runny Nose, Cough, Congestion, Wheezing?
Learn about a clinical trial for RSV.
RSV can be a serious, life-threatening virus for high-risk adults who are 18 years or older and meet at least 1 of the following criteria:
- Moderate or severe COPD
- Asthma
- Chronic lung disease
- Chronic cardiovascular disease
- ≥60 years of age (vaccinated or nonvaccinated)
Why join an RSV clinical trial?
- Access to an investigational oral medication for RSV
- Limited treatment options for high-risk adults
- No FDA-approved oral treatment available
- Don’t have to discontinue current medications to participate.
It’s important to get your RSV status confirmed quickly. To be eligible for the study, you must be diagnosed with RSV and enrolled within 3 days of your symptoms starting.
Sponsored by Gilead
Surveys
Nasal Polyps Research Opportunity
Exafield US, specialists in recruiting patients for scientific studies, are currently looking for people with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.
The purpose of this study is to understand patient experiences of Chronic Rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and how it affects their everyday lives on a day-to-day basis. The study does not involve treatments; we are only interested in opinions.
Participants would participate in a 30-minute survey (no phones or tablets) and will be paid for their time. Confirmation of diagnosis will be required to confirm eligibility.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and are interested in participating or would like more information about the study, please contact Britney at: jiron@exafield.com.
Sponsored by Exafield
Research from the 2025 AAAAI Annual Meeting
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) is hosting their annual meeting Feb. 28 – March 3, 2025, in San Diego, California. Each year, AAAAI releases the latest in asthma and allergy research. Here’s some of the news from the conference:
Early Life Exposure to Antibiotics May Be a Risk Factor for Childhood Asthma
New research suggests that if a baby is exposed to antibiotics, it may increase their risk of childhood asthma. The study looked at medical records of 14,807 healthy, full-term children born to birthing parents with Group B Streptococcus. Of these, 311 infants got antibiotics shortly after birth due to the birthing parents’ infections.
Researchers found that these children had a higher risk of developing asthma in later childhood. The study also found links between antibiotic use and conditions like allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and the need for short-acting beta-agonists (SABA) medicines. Even after considering factors like birth weight, delivery method, and birthing parent health, the connection was still strong.
More research is needed. But these findings suggest that doctors should carefully consider giving antibiotic newborns to reduce the chances of potential long-term health risks.
Mepolizumab Reduces Need for Repeat Sinus Surgeries in People with Nasal Polyps
A recent study shows that mepolizumab (Nucala) may help improve symptoms in people with nasal polyps. In the clinical trial, patients were given either mepolizumab or a placebo (non-treatment) for 1 year. The study found that mepolizumab greatly improved nasal polyp size, nasal obstruction, smell, and overall symptoms compared to placebo.
Among people with 1 prior surgery, mepolizumab reduced the need for another surgery by 73% and lowered the use of oral corticosteroids (such as prednisone) by 63%. In people with multiple prior surgeries, surgery risk dropped by 39% and oral corticosteroid use went down slightly. These findings suggest mepolizumab is an effective treatment for nasal polyps, especially for those who have had one prior surgery.
Latest Asthma and Allergy News
Allergies
Nasal Sprays Versus Oral Treatments for Allergic Rhinitis
A recent study looked at how nasal sprays compare to medicines taken by mouth for allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever. The researchers looked at 35 studies to compare how the treatments improve symptoms and quality of life.
The results showed that nasal sprays were better at reducing nasal and eye symptoms and improving daily life. Specifically, corticosteroid nasal sprays worked better than oral antihistamines (such as Zyrtec and Claritin) and leukotriene receptor antagonists (such as montelukast). Nasal spray antihistamines were also more effective than antihistamines taken by mouth.
The study suggests that people with seasonal allergic rhinitis may benefit more from using nasal sprays instead of oral medicines.
Asthma
Study Suggests Montelukast May Not Increase Risk of Mental Health Side Effects in Children
Some reports suggest a link between the use of montelukast (Singulair) for asthma and allergies and mental health problems in children and teens. These reports led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to give it a black box warning about these risks in 2020.
A new study looked at the risk of mental health issues in children and teens who take montelukast. Researchers looked at data from more than 74,000 children in Sweden between 2007 and 2021. They compared children who took montelukast to children who used another asthma medicine. Researchers tracked conditions like anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and suicidal thoughts.
The results showed no major difference in the risk of mental health issues between the 2 groups. This suggests that montelukast does not necessarily increase the risk of mental health side effects in children and teens. These findings can further help doctors decide on safe asthma and allergy treatments.
Asthma Specialists May Not Agree on When to Start Biologics
Though monoclonal antibody treatments (biologics) for severe asthma are on the rise, there are no clear guidelines for how and when they should be prescribed. A recent study looked at how asthma specialists choose biologics for severe asthma patients. Researchers asked 86 specialists from Canada and 26 other countries to review real patient cases and decide whether to prescribe a biologic treatment and, if so, which one. The results showed weak agreement among specialists, both in deciding whether to use a biologic and in selecting a specific treatment. The results suggest that choosing the best biologic therapy for each patient remains a challenge. More research is needed to find reliable ways to predict which treatment will work best.
Factors That Impact Caregivers' Quality of Life Caring for Young Children with Asthma
While there is a lot of research on the well-being of people with asthma, there is less research on how caregivers are impacted. A recent study looked at factors affecting the quality of life for caregivers of young children with asthma. Researchers studied 398 caregivers in Baltimore, Maryland, who participated in an asthma education program. They looked at personal factors like health literacy, confidence in managing asthma, and depression, as well as system-level factors like barriers to care and neighborhood support. Results showed that caregivers with lower health literacy and more challenges accessing care had a lower quality of life. These findings were the same after six months. The study suggests that improving caregiver health literacy and reducing barriers to asthma care could help caregivers feel less overwhelmed and improve their well-being.
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