title: The safety of mepolizumab for the treatment of asthma.
abstract: Asthma is an airway disease characterized by airway inflammation. It is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and costs to the healthcare system and society. Interleukin-5 (IL-5) was identified for its role in eosinophil development, maturation, and survival in tissues, which has been related to disease severity and airway eosinophilia. Areas covered: In this review, we will present the pharmacokinetics and dynamics of mepolizumab in addition to efficacy and safety data. Expert Opinion: Mepolizumab is novel, new, first-in-class therapy targeting IL-5. It has been found to be particularly effective in the management of patients with asthma whose peripheral blood eosinophil count is at a well-defined cut point within the normative range. This easily available biomarker, along with a history of asthma exacerbations, has translated into a clinically significant reduction in asthma exacerbations and the dose of oral corticosteroids in patients who previously have been prednisone-dependent. The pivotal studies indicate that mepolizumab was well tolerated, with the most frequently reported adverse events being headache, nasopharyngitis, worsening of asthma, and local injection reactions. These study investigators did not report any deaths or anaphylaxis related to mepolizumab.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , Canada.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: b Department of Integrative Oncology , British Columbia Cancer Research Centre , Vancouver , Canada.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al Efraij
authors.affiliation: c Department of Respirology , Vancouver General Hospital - Respirology, The Lung Centre, 7th Floor Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre , Vancouver , Canada.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: FitzGerald
mesh_terms: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000378:metabolism; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000276:immunology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D005938:Glucocorticoids; C508599:IL5 protein, human; D015848:Interleukin-5; C434107:mepolizumab
keywords: Asthma; IL-5; mepolizumab; safety