New treatment, Dupilumab, could be used to treat patients with severe asthma

A new treatment for asthma has been given the go-ahead for public use by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Initial studies indicate that it could be a great help to those who suffer severely from the condition and do not respond well to conventional cures.

Dupilumab can also be used to treat eczema and rhinosinusitis. Furthermore, evidence suggests that Dupilumab can also bring improvements to lung functionality in people who suffer from severe asthma.

While Dupilumab has its uses and considerable upsides, it is also known to cause potential side effects. These include, but are not limited to, headaches, inflammation and strong allergic reactions in some people.

Asthma is a condition that affects roughly 200,000 in the United Kingdom, with around 77,000 people being admitted to hospital every year as a result of it. With COVID-19 still being a worldwide issue, empty beds in hospitals can still be difficult to come by – Dupilumab may be able to help with this if it is a success.

Statistically, it is more prevalent in low income areas than high income ones. As Doncaster is generally a low income area, this treatment could change the lives of people not just across the town, but over the entire country and beyond.

However, to be eligible for treatment, patients must first fulfil a very specific set of criteria. To begin, they must first be suffering from severe asthma, with type 2 inflammation. Patients must also have experienced at least four severe asthma attacks over the past 12 months and need to provide evidence of them, too.

That’s not all. They must have received conventional treatment for asthma in the past to be eligible for the prescription. If they have and did not respond well to it, as well as satisfying all the other factors, then they will be able receive a prescription of Dupilumab to treat their asthma.

Dupilumab is not a brand new drug – it has been approved for general use in Scotland since April of this year.