EFFECTIVENESS OF BENRALIZUMAB IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH SEVERE EOSINOPHILIC ASTHMA. LITHUANIAN DATA FROM THE BREEZE STUDY

Abstract

The BREEZE study, a retrospective study of benralizumab to characterize patient characteristics, treatment modalities and outcomes in clinical practice, Central Eastern Europe and the Baltic States, is part of the international program XALOC. There is no research data on multicenter Lithuanian clinical practice in the treatment of patients with severe eosinophilic asthma with benralizumab. Aim. To assess the effectiveness of benralizumab in clinical practice, treating patients with severe eosinophilic asthma in Lithuania. Methods. This study describes the data of Lithuanian patients who participated in the BREEZE study. The study included adult patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. Patients data were collected up to 56 weeks, since the start of treatment. Results. 49 patients were included in the study, of which 33 (69%) were women. The mean age of patients at the start of benralizumab was 59.5 years. At the beginning of the study, the median blood eosinophil level was 0.5 × 109/L (60% of patients were found to be 0.4 × 109/L and more), and the mean of forced expiratory volume in the first second was 1.79 L. Eight patients (16.3%) continued to use oral corticosteroids (OCS) at the start of benralizumab treatment, with a mean prednisolone equivalent daily dose of 10.4 mg. Baseline mean annual asthma exacerbation rate was 2.79 (95% CI 2.34–3.31). The mean annualized exacerbation rate decreased to 0.31 (95% CI 0.11–0.66) and 0.27 (95% CI 0.12–0.56) at week 16 and week 48 of benralizumab treatment, respectively. At week 56, 87.5% of patients who used OCS at the beginning of the study were no longer using them. Conclusions. In clinical practice in Lithuania, benralizumab prescribed to patients with severe eosinophilic asthma is effective: the annualized exacerbation rate decreased by 90%, and 87.5% of patients who had previously taken OCS discontinued their use.