Mepolizumab Treatment for Rhinovirus-induced Asthma Exacerbations
Status:
Unknown status
Trial end date:
2014-03-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by lower respiratory
tract (LRT) symptoms such as wheeze, cough and airway obstruction. Patients with asthma
frequently suffer from exacerbations, which can be triggered by allergens and, in particular,
viral respiratory infections. It has recently been shown that mepolizumab, a humanized
monoclonal antibody that neutralizes interleukin(IL)-5, markedly reduces the exacerbation
rate in asthma patients with eosinophilic airway inflammation. Previous studies have
indicated that in a mixed population (eosinophilic and non eosinophilic) of mild asthma
patients, mepolizumab did not have an impact on lung function and asthma symptom scores upon
allergen provocation, although it did on markers such as sputum and blood eosinophils.
Together, these observations led to the hypothesis that mepolizumab treatment reduces the
exacerbation rate by limiting virus-induced asthma exacerbations.
The investigators hypothesize that neutralization of IL-5 during virus infection in patients
with allergic asthma:
1. Reduces virus-induced bronchial inflammation
2. Attenuates virus-induced asthma symptoms, airflow limitation and bronchial
hyperresponsiveness.
3. Enhances cellular immune responses to the virus.
The aims of this study are to:
1. To investigate whether IL-5 neutralization reduces the inflammatory response to viral
airway infections in allergic asthma patients
2. To investigate whether IL-5 neutralization prevents or reduces asthma symptoms during
virus-induced asthma exacerbations
3. To investigate whether IL-5 neutralization affects the cellular immune response to viral
airway infections in allergic asthma patients
Phase:
Phase 3
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)