The monoclonal antibody tezepelumab appears to reduce or even eliminate the need for oral corticosteroids (OCS) in patients with severe asthma. That’s according to primary results from new research, “Tezepelumab Reduces and Eliminates OCS Use in OCS-Dependent Patients With Severe Asthma: Primary Results From the Phase 3b WAYFINDER Study,” recently published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The 52-week, open-label WAYFINDER trial out of the United Kingdom evaluated the OCS-sparing potential of tezepelumab in 298 adults with severe asthma. Those patients had been dependent on daily OCS therapy for at least three months. Participants received 210 mg of tezepelumab via subcutaneous injection every four weeks.
The study’s co-primary endpoints focused on the proportion of patients who could reduce their daily maintenance OCS dose to 5 mg or less and those who could discontinue OCS entirely—both without worsening asthma control.
According to researchers, 89.9% of participants reduced their OCS dose to 5 mg/day or less and 50.3% of participants completely discontinued OCS use by week 52. Among those with adrenal insufficiency, 82.2% achieved the reduced dose target without compromising asthma control. The safety profile of tezepelumab remained consistent with previous studies.
These results mark a major advancement for patients with severe asthma, many of whom rely on long-term steroid use that can lead to serious side effects, researchers wrote,. Tezepelumab, which targets thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), offers a new pathway to manage asthma more safely and effectively.
The findings are especially notable given that a previous phase 3 trial, SOURCE, did not meet its primary endpoint, although it did show benefits in patients with elevated eosinophil counts. WAYFINDER’s broader patient population and longer duration provide stronger evidence of tezepelumab’s potential.
Researchers said they believe tezepelumab may soon become a cornerstone therapy for severe asthma, offering hope to thousands of patients seeking to reduce their dependence on corticosteroids while maintaining control over their condition.
