Exacerbation and glucocorticoid toxicity profile in patients receiving mepolizumab for severe eosinophilic asthma

One of these drugs is mepolizumab, a humanised monoclonal antibody against the eosinophil activating cytokine, interleukin (IL)-5, has consistently been shown to lead to a 50% reduction in exacerbation rate, when compared with placebo, and facilitates the weaning of maintenance oral corticosteroids (OCS) in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. <br><br>This works seeks to address two questions that arise from treatment with this novel monoclonal antibody:<br><br>1.

What is the inflammatory phenotype and the physiological characteristics of the residual asthma exacerbations that occur in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma treated with anti-IL5 monoclonal antibodies?<br><br>2. To quantify toxicity associated with OCS treatment in severe eosinophilic asthmatics, and assess change in OCS-related toxicity after 1 year's treatment with mepolizumab and subsequent reduction in OCS, both through weaning of maintenance OCS and reduction in OCS for asthma exacerbations.