The EVEREST study published in the Journal of Asthma and Allergy, “Disease Burden and Access to Biologic Therapy in Patients with Severe Asthma, 2017–2022: An Analysis of the International Severe Asthma Registry”, has shed light on the significant global disease burden faced by patients suffering from severe asthma, including those without access to biologic therapies, those who were eligible but did not receive these treatments, and T2-targeted biologic recipients. The findings underscore the urgent need for improved healthcare resource utilization, increased access to biologics, and ongoing research on new treatment options to address the unmet needs of patients with severe asthma.
Approximately 55% of patients who lacked access to biologics and 71% of patients who had access but did not receive biologics had uncontrolled asthma (Figure 1). Among T2-targeted biologic recipients, approximately one-third still had uncontrolled asthma and one-fifth experienced ≥2 exacerbations in the 12 months post-biologic initiation (Figure 2). Two-thirds of T2-targeted biologic recipients had asthma that remained suboptimally controlled despite biologic treatment.
Figure 1. Proportions of patients with severe asthma who experienced ≥2 exacerbations, had uncontrolled asthma and received LTOCS during the 12 months before the index date. (The index date was the first visit recorded in ISAR with measurements meeting the group eligibility criteria; for biologic users, the index date was the ISAR visit that is closest to the date on first biologic.)
Abbreviations: ISAR = International Severe Asthma Registry; LTOCS = Long-term oral corticosteroids
Figure 2. Proportions of patients with severe asthma who experienced ≥2 exacerbations, had uncontrolled asthma and received LTOCS in the 12 months post-biologic initiation. (The index date was the first visit recorded in ISAR with measurements meeting the group eligibility criteria; for biologic users, the index date was the ISAR visit that is closest to the date on first biologic. For the subgroup of biologic recipients whose asthma remained suboptimally controlled, the index date was the date of the third dose of biologic treatment; among those who switched or stopped biologics, the index date was the ISAR visit closest to the date on first biologic.)
Abbreviations: ISAR = International Severe Asthma Registry; LTOCS = Long-term oral corticosteroids
The EVEREST study was a historical cohort study of patients enrolled in the International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR), using data prospectively collected between December 2017 and May 2022. 9587 patients with severe asthma from 21 countries were included.
The EVEREST study highlights the substantial challenges experienced by patients who are either denied access to biologics or who, despite being eligible, do not receive these advanced therapies. The research indicates that both groups endure a high disease burden; however, the specific outcomes and healthcare experiences differ significantly between them. Additionally, two-thirds of T2-targeted biologic recipients had a suboptimal response to their prescribed therapies, highlighting the importance of ongoing research and development of more effective therapy options for patients with severe asthma.
The EVEREST findings call for collaborative efforts among healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers to develop strategies that improve and standardize access to biologic therapies, optimize the allocation of resources, and enhance treatment pathways to ultimately reduce the disease burden associated with severe asthma.
To learn more about the study, please read the full publication in the Journal of Asthma and Allergy, as well as the accompanying slide deck.
The EVEREST study was funded by AstraZeneca. The International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR) is operated by Optimum Patient Care Global Ltd. (OPCG) and co-funded by OPCG and AstraZeneca.
To learn more please visit our website: www.isar.opcglobal.org.