ORCID

Abstract

Background: Biologic therapy in asthma can be life-changing and affect health-related quality of life, but symptoms are rarely used in the assessment of response. Aim: To examine the change in health-related quality of life and asthma control between starting a biologic and assessment of biologic response, assessing whether this change can provide early prediction of eventual clinical response at 12 months. Methods: A service evaluation of severe asthmatics initiating a biologic at the Royal Devon NHS trust between 2019 and 22. Health-Related Quality of Life (Severe Asthma Questionnaire) and asthma control (Asthma Control Questionnaire-6) was captured at baseline, 8 weeks, 16 weeks and 12 months. Patients were classified as responder or non-responder using NICE Criteria for biologic response. Independent samples t-tests were used to determine statistical difference in change from baseline patient reported outcome measure scores between responder and non-responders. Results: One hundred and eight initiations (103 patients) of biologic therapy were included. At 8 weeks and 16 weeks, responders had greater improvement in Severe Asthma Questionnaire & Severe Asthma Questionnaire Global compared to non-responders (p<0.05). Improvement in Asthma Control Questionnaire only achieved significance between all-responders and non-responders at 16 weeks (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study provides evidence of the early and sustained improvement in health-related quality of life and symptoms after starting biologic therapy. The findings support the use of the Severe Asthma Questionnaire and the Asthma Control Questionnaire as per the Core Outcome Measures Sets for Severe Asthma (COMSA). We have shown that health-related quality of life and asthma control can assist earlier assessment of response and non-response to biologics.

Publication Date

2025-05-08

Publication Title

Journal of Asthma and Allergy

Volume

18

ISSN

1178-6965

Acceptance Date

2025-03-24

Deposit Date

2025-06-03

Funding

The abstract of this paper was presented at two conferences in 2023, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS). In both cases, interim data were reported as poster presentations. For the ATS the abstract was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm-conference. 2023.207.1_MeetingAbstracts.A6020. For the ERS, the abstract was published in European Respiratory Journal https://doi. org/10.1183/13993003.congress-2023.PA4732. We would like to thank the staff comprising the specialist severe asthma service at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for their support of this work. A non-promotional grant was provided by AstraZeneca (grant number: ESR-22-22083). This report is an independent project supported by the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Institute for Health Research or the Department of Health and Social Care. A non-promotional grant was provided by AstraZeneca (grant number: ESR-22-22083). This report is an independent project supported by the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Institute for Health Research or the Department of Health and Social Care. D. Davies reports no conflicts of interest. J.W. Lanario reports non-promotional grants outside of this work from AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline. M.E Hyland reports non-promotional grants outside of this work from AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline. M. Masoli reports non-promotional grants from AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline and speaker fees from AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline outside of this work.

Keywords

biologics, patient reported outcomes, patient-centred, quality of life, severe asthma

First Page

743

Last Page

752

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