A new report from research firm GlobalData says that Asthma treatments are showing encouraging signs of development, with almost 100 molecules or formulations currently in Phases II and III of development. Moreover, the report finds that emerging treatments are moving towards a more personalised approach.
The company’s report states that the most significant challenge in asthma therapeutics is posed by patients with severe forms of the disease, who remain uncontrolled and have frequent exacerbations, even with the combination of high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) and long-acting beta-agonists.
Valentina Gburcik, Ph.D., Senior Analyst for GlobalData, says that the recognition that asthma is a heterogeneous disease, with several subphenotypes in adults and children, means companies are now trying to penetrate the asthma market using two main approaches.
Gburcik explained: “One approach is developing drugs with different delivery devices to capitalise on long-established off-patent therapies, while the other is to introduce biologics, particularly interleukin inhibitors, to treat severe uncontrolled asthma.
“The latter approach is clearly reflected in the late-stage asthma pipeline, which consists mainly of targeted biologic therapies. Due to the central role that Th2 cells play in coordinating allergic and asthmatic responses, the receptors and cytokines that stimulate these cells have become key therapeutic targets.”
The report suggests that the shift towards personalised medicine for severe asthmatics marks a significant development asthma treatment.
Gburcik continued: “There are several asthma subphenotypes that are prone to exacerbations, which could be prevented by targeting IL-5 with humanised antibodies. A number of these antibodies are currently being developed, including GlaxoSmithKline’s Bosatria, Teva’s Cinquil and AstraZeneca’s benralizumab, all of which are in Phase III trials.
“In addition, IL-4 and IL-13 have been shown to play a central role in the pathogenesis of some asthma cases, and this has prompted the development of humanized monoclonal antibodies against both these cytokines and the common component of their receptors, the IL-4Rα chain.”
The analyst concluded that while these biologics have shown less impressive results than those targeting IL-5, they have exhibited benefits in specific subgroups of patients.
The full report can be purchased here: PharmaPoint: Asthma – Global Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2023.