A Belgian real-world study indicates rapid and sustained asthma symptom control with benralizumab

<bold>Background:</bold> Benralizumab is an anti-IL-5Rα antibody used as add-on maintenance therapy in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA). The XALOC program was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of benralizumab in a real-world setting. <bold>Objective:</bold> To describe the change in patient-reported, asthma-related symptoms for patients treated with benralizumab, with a particular focus on the onset of symptom improvement. <bold>Methods:</bold> Within the context of XALOC, the prospective, multicenter, single-arm, BE-REAL study assessed patient reported outcomes in adults with uncontrolled SEA treated with benralizumab in Belgium over 56 weeks. The primary objective of the study consisted of the percentage of patients with a minimum clinically important difference (MCID) in ACQ-6 (i.e., ≥0.5 units). Secondary study endpoints included changes in the patient perceived asthma status (PGI-C) and asthma symptom severity (PGI-S) scores. <bold>Results:</bold> In total, 78 patients were enrolled in BE-REAL, of whom 76 received benralizumab. The rate of ACQ-6 responders ater 56 weeks was 72%. After only one week of therapy, this endpoint was already obtained in 57% of patients, and the mean change in ACQ-6 score (−0.6 ponts) crossed the threshold for a MCID (−0.5 points). This rapid improvement was also reflected by the PGI-C and PGI-S scores, with 57% of patients "feeling better" after 1 week of therapy and a corresponding drop in the percentage of patients with (very) severe asthma symptoms from 38% at baseline to 9% after 1 week. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> Benralizumab induces a rapid and sustained improvement in patient-reported, asthma-related symptoms in a real-life cohort of patients with SEA.