Asthma – Biological Therapies and Bronchial Thermoplasty

Transcript

In the last decade, there’s been an increased understanding of the cellular pathophysiology of asthma. This has led to the development of biological therapies, which target specific antibodies, and signaling pathways that induce asthma symptoms. Patients with eosinophilic T2 high asthma, and severe disease with frequent asthma exacerbations, may benefit from these biological therapies. These are injection medications administered every two to four weeks used indefinitely. Consultation with a pulmonologist or allergist is required for prescription. Currently, there are no biological therapies for patients with non-eosinophilic T2 low asthma. Bronchial thermoplasty is a developing treatment for patients with severe asthma, not controlled with inhaler medication. Bronchial thermoplasty involves applying heat to the airways via the bronchoscopy procedure. Heat application will reduce the mass of airway smooth muscles, allowing for better expiratory airflow, and improve quality of life. Very few centers offer this therapy, and consultation with a pulmonologist with experience in this technique is required.