Researchers at HMRI and the University of Newcastle evaluated a drug called azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, to see if it would put moderate to severe asthma into remission.
Professor Peter Gibson from HMRI’s Asthma and Breathing program says that the findings were very promising.
“Remission in adults with asthma is a relatively new concept and a less researched area but it has recently gained attention. Recent studies have found that remission is possible in severe asthma treated with highly effective biologics therapies, a new class of drugs,” says Professor Gibson.
“We’ve taken a different approach by testing another type of drug. We’re the only people in the world tested this drug and we have confirmed that remission can be achieved in up to 50% of moderate to severe asthma patients treated with long-term azithromycin,” says Professor Gibson.
These findings are published in the journal Chest 2024.
“This is the first study reporting remission can be achieved using drugs other than biologics. Biologics are injection medicines, cost-prohibitive in low- and middle-income countries (approx. $500 to $3000/month) and restricted to most severe cases in high-income countries.
Azithromycin – the drug we tested – is a low-cost oral therapy (approx.$15/week) and a guideline-recommended treatment for moderate to severe asthma. So, these findings have numerous implications,” says the lead author, Dr Dennis Thomas.
“Achieving remission has huge health and economic impact as exacerbations are completely abolished, symptoms are fully under control, and the need for risky drugs such as corticosteroids is totally eliminated. Future asthma treatment should aim to achieve asthma remission,” says Dr Thomas.
The team is working towards developing the next-generation asthma management strategy and defining the future frontiers in asthma under the umbrella of a large research program called the FUTURE program.
* HMRI is a partnership between the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Health, and the community.
The FUTURE research program, led by Professor Gibson, is aimed to further understand asthma remission as a treatment goal. It is designed to provide a clear picture of asthma remission and trajectories to remission. A series of studies are under the pipeline, covering all aspects of remission, including definition, mechanisms, predictors, health economics, patient/clinician perspectives, treatments to induce remission, etc. The program aims to establish asthma remission as a treatment goal and identify the mechanisms and biomarkers of remission, determine whether earlier or longer duration therapy enhances remission, establish the effectiveness of interventions to achieve remission, and characterise the impact of remission (to patients, health care costs/burden). Hence leading the world to this new therapeutic frontier.
The program is fuelled by multiple grants. An NHMRC investigator grant awarded to Prof Gibson will investigate the mechanisms and biomarkers of asthma remission, the treatments to achieve asthma remission and its economic benefits. Another grant funded by GSK will investigate the immunology and patient/clinician perspectives of asthma remission, including health economics. Together, these projects will inform new drug development to achieve asthma remission and quantify the economic benefit of remission.
Previous asthma remission studies of the team can be found from Allergy 2023 and European Respiratory Journal 2022.
HMRI would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live, the Awabakal and Worimi peoples, and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage and beliefs and their continued connection to their land.
Hunter Medical Research Institute
We’re taking healthy further.
Locked Bag 1000
New Lambton
NSW, Australia, 2305
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 Hunter Medical Research Institute | ABN: 27 081 436 919
Site by Marlin Communications
