Tezepelumab Reduced Steroid Dependence in Severe Asthma Patients

New results from the Phase 3 SUNRISE clinical trial show that tezepelumab significantly reduced the need for long-term oral corticosteroid use in adults with severe oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma while maintaining asthma control and improving key clinical outcomes. The findings were published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

The multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated adults with severe asthma who rely on daily oral corticosteroids despite treatment with high-dose inhaled therapies. Patients treated with tezepelumab were nearly three times more likely than those receiving a placebo to achieve greater reductions in their daily oral corticosteroid dose while maintaining asthma control.

“Long-term oral corticosteroid use can have devastating consequences for patients, including diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and significant impacts on quality of life,” said Michael Wechsler, MD, lead author on the study and director of the Cohen Family Asthma Institute at National Jewish Health. “These findings are important because they show that patients with severe asthma treated with tezepelumab may be able to substantially reduce their dependence on oral steroids without sacrificing asthma control.”

Over the 28-week treatment period, 69% of patients receiving tezepelumab achieved at least a 50% reduction in oral corticosteroid dose compared to 44% of patients receiving the placebo. In addition, 35% of patients treated with tezepelumab were able to completely stop use of oral corticosteroids, compared to 21% in the placebo group.

The study also demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in lung function, asthma symptom control and quality of life among patients treated with tezepelumab. Patients receiving the therapy experienced significantly fewer asthma exacerbations, including reductions in emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

“For many patients with severe asthma, oral corticosteroids are a double-edged sword,” said Dr. Wechsler. “They can help control symptoms, but long-term use often comes at a high physical cost. The ability to reduce steroid exposure while still controlling disease activity represents a major goal in asthma care.”

Tezepelumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an epithelial cytokine involved in multiple inflammatory pathways associated with asthma. Researchers noted that the therapy demonstrated benefits across a broad range of patients, including those with varying eosinophil levels.

“These results build on growing evidence that targeting upstream inflammation pathways can provide meaningful benefits for patients with severe asthma,” Dr. Wechsler said. “Reducing chronic steroid use has the potential to improve long-term health outcomes and quality of life for many people living with severe disease.”