NHS set to use asthma treatment Fasenra

Around 5.4 million people in the UK are affected by asthma and an estimated 5% of these have severe asthma. Of those with severe asthma around 50% (2.5% of total asthma suffers) are at risk of airway inflammation which leads to asthma symptoms and attacks as a result of too many eosinophils in their lungs.
It looks likely that the NHS will fund the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma sufferers using AstraZeneca’s biologic Fasenra (benralizumab), a monoclonal antibody that recruits natural killer cells to deplete eosinophils. Draft guidelines published by NICE recommend the drug as a possibility for treating the condition when the usual therapies like inhaled corticosteroids and beta-agonists are not effective. NICE considered Fasenra to be value for money when biological treatment mepolizumab is not appropriate, and when someone has a blood eosinophil count of 400 plus cells per microliter and at least three exacerbations in the last 12 months.
AZ said it would continue to engage with the Institute to secure access for a wider group of patients as it is disappointed with this restriction. It believes the drug is “a valid treatment option” for those with a blood eosophinil count of 300 plus cells per microliter and who have had three exacerbations or more in the last 12 months or are taking maintenance corticosteroids.