How effective is Tezpire in severe asthma?

Question

Hello doctor,

My 22-year-old son has struggled with severe asthma throughout his life, with a notable deterioration in symptoms over the past two years despite receiving maximum medical treatment. He is currently prescribed Symbicort (budesonide, a steroid, and formoterol, a combination drug for asthma) 160/4.5 twice daily, Spiriva Respimat (Tiotropium, drug for asthma) daily, and Montelukast 10 milligrams at night, in addition to requiring Albuterol (a type of bronchodilator) nebulizer treatments 4-6 times a day. He continues to experience severe asthma attacks 2-3 times a week, necessitating frequent visits to the emergency room.

Last year, he was hospitalized nine times, including two admissions to the ICU, where he was close to requiring intubation. His pulmonology evaluation indicates an FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in one second) of 42 percent of the predicted value, a FeNO (fractional exhaled nitric oxide) level of 65 ppb, and a blood eosinophil count of 740 cells/μL. He has previously tried both Nucala and Dupixent without any significant improvement. His pulmonologist has now suggested Tezspire; however, our insurance has denied coverage twice, labeling it as 'experimental' for his specific case.

The ongoing courses of Prednisone have led to weight gain, mood changes, and early cataracts. He has had to withdraw from college due to frequent absences caused by asthma exacerbations. His triggers include respiratory infections, changes in weather, exercise, and certain unidentified foods.

Despite his efforts to avoid known triggers, he still experiences unpredictable attacks. Additionally, his allergist diagnosed him with eosinophilic esophagitis last year, which complicates his condition further. How effective is Tezspire in cases where other biologics have not succeeded? How soon can we expect to see results? Are there any potential side effects we should be aware of? Furthermore, what alternatives do we have if our insurance continues to deny coverage? The medication is priced very, very high, which is unaffordable for us without insurance assistance.

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

Despite receiving standard treatment, many patients with severe asthma still face ongoing symptoms and exacerbations. Tezspire has been shown to significantly decrease exacerbations over 52 weeks compared to a placebo in individuals with severe, uncontrolled asthma. Tezspire (tezepelumab, a biological drug for asthma) is now approved in the US as an add-on maintenance therapy for adults and pediatric patients aged 12 and older suffering from severe asthma. Patients may notice improvements in their asthma symptoms within two weeks of initiating Tezspire, although further improvements may take several months. It is important to inform your healthcare provider if your symptoms worsen or do not show improvement after several weeks of treatment. Tezspire side effects are the following;

Back pain.
Rash.
Sore throat.
Injection site reaction.
Arthralgia, back pain.
Breathing problems.
Fever.
Red, itchy, swollen, or inflamed eyes.

I hope this information helps you.

Feel free to ask further queries.

Thank you.