Dive Brief:
- Although an FDA advisory committee has voted to approved mepolizumab for treatment of severe asthma in adults, it voted 10 to 4 against approving mepolizumab for children
- Mepolizumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the interleukin-5 receptor, which causes growth of eosinophils, some of which can accumulate in the lungs of individuals with asthma.
- According to labeling, mepolizumab is to be given to patients once every four weeks via injection.
Dive Insight:
More than 22 million people in the U.S. have asthma, with up to 10% of those individuals affected by the most severe forms of this respiratory disease. Studies show that 30% to 70% of patients with asthma are nonadherent to their treatment regimens, which are mainly comprised of some type of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and a rescue treatment when needed. Therefore the advent of a once-a-month injectable treatment bodes well for better control and enhanced adherence among patients.