Real-life effectiveness of mepolizumab on remission and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps in severe eosinophilic asthma

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of mepolizumab in enhancing asthma control, achieving clinical remission, and alleviating upper airway symptoms in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) with comorbid nasal polyps and/or chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Additionally, it aimed to identify clinical and laboratory predictors of remission. The findings are based on real-world data from a single center. Methods: This retrospective, single-center, real-world study included 99 patients diagnosed with SEA. Patients were categorized into three groups based on the presence or absence of nasal polyps and CRS. Treatment response was evaluated using the asthma control test (ACT), spirometry, laboratory biomarkers, computed tomography (CT) scores, and nasal polyp scores. Remission was defined as the absence of asthma exacerbations and systemic corticosteroid use, along with improvements in both forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) and ACT scores. Results: After 12 months of mepolizumab therapy, there were significant improvements in FEV₁ values, asthma exacerbation frequency, systemic corticosteroid requirements, and nasal symptom scores. The overall remission rate was 30.6%. Patients with higher baseline FEV₁ and no prior exposure to omalizumab were more likely to achieve remission. Conclusions: This real-world evidence suggests that mepolizumab provides meaningful clinical, functional, and radiological improvements in patients with SEA, regardless of comorbid nasal polyps or CRS. Furthermore, the study highlights independent predictors associated with treatment-induced remission in this population.

Keywords

severe asthma / mepolizumab / nasal polyps / chronic rhinosinusitis / remission

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