Biologics in severe asthma: the role of real-world evidence from registries

• Published in: European respiratory review 2022-06, Vol.31 (164), p.210278
• Main Authors: Paoletti, Giovanni, Pepys, Jack, Casini, Marta, Di Bona, Danilo, Heffler, Enrico, Goh, Celine Y Y, Price, David B, Canonica, Giorgio Walter
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adrenal Cortex Hormones - adverse effects; Anti-Asthmatic Agents - adverse effects; Asthma - diagnosis; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - epidemiology; Biological Products - adverse effects; Bronchodilator Agents - therapeutic use; Humans; Registries; Reviews
• ISSN: 0905-9180; 1600-0617; 1600-0617
• DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0278-2021

Asthma is one of the most common noncommunicable diseases; in the majority of patients it is well controlled with inhaled bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids, but the management of severe asthma has been a significant challenge historically. The introduction of novel biologic drugs in the past few decades has revolutionised the field, presenting physicians with a variety of biologic drugs with different mechanisms for the treatment of severe asthma.It is of crucial importance to evaluate the effectiveness of these drugs by following their "real-life" effectiveness rather than relying solely on their efficacy, established in carefully designed clinical trials, which therefore do not necessarily match the profile of the real-life patient. Understanding the actual effectiveness of the specific drugs in real-life patients is a crucial part of tailoring the right drugs to the right patients. Registries serve as an important tool in obtaining real-life evidence, since they are in effect observational studies, following the entire patient population.