New ‘wonder drug’ injection for severe asthma given approval on NHS

A new ‘wonder drug’ for the treatment of uncontrolled asthma has been approved for use on the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Dupilumab has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for some patients whose asthma does not respond to conventional treatments.

The drug is a monoclonal antibody and is from the same family of drugs that is being used to treat Covid-19, and is also prescribed to treat severe eczema and rhinosinusitis.

The drug has already been approved for use in Scotland since April.

Who will get the drug?

The criteria for accessing the drug is quite strict and will only include patients who have severe asthma with type 2 inflammation, who meet an inflammation threshold and have had at least four severe asthma attacks in the last year, and are ineligible for other biological treatments.

The approval of the drug has been welcomed by Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation Partnership, which said it would help to transform the lives of sme patients.