Publications by authors named "Gustavo de Luiz Martinez"
Background: Depemokimab is an ultra-long-acting biologic therapy with enhanced binding affinity for interleukin-5 that may enable effective 6-month dosing intervals.
Methods: In these phase 3A, randomized, placebo-controlled replicate trials, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of depemokimab in patients with severe asthma and an eosinophilic phenotype characterized by a high eosinophil count (≥300 cells per microliter in the previous 12 months or ≥150 cells per microliter at screening) and a history of exacerbations despite the receipt of medium- or high-dose inhaled glucocorticoids. Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive either depemokimab (at a dose of 100 mg subcutaneously) or placebo at weeks 0 and 26, plus standard care.
Article Synopsis
- The study focused on identifying factors that contribute to the failure of asthma treatment step-down in patients with moderate to severe asthma who were on a combination therapy of inhaled glucocorticoids and long-acting beta agonists.
- Results showed that 41.7% of patients experienced step-down failure, with significant factors including older age, multiple comorbidities, severity of asthma, and a short duration of previous asthma control.
- The conclusion emphasizes that successful step-down is more likely when patients have maintained asthma control for over 6 months, suggesting that careful consideration is needed before adjusting treatment.