Asthma is a reversible obstructive lung disease, caused by increased reaction of the airways to various stimuli. It is a chronic inflammatory condition with acute exacerbations.
Poorly controlled asthma is a serious growing problem worldwide. 20 to 30% of the total asthma population suffer from asthma despite access to conventional therapies and medical care.
In recent years the use of corticosteroids and long-acting β-2 agonists has dramatically improved asthma care; however, 20% of patients are not well controlled on Advair ® and 35% of patients are not well controlled on Flovent ®. (Rabe, KF et al. Eur Respir J 2000 16(5):802-7)
Asthma is still a significant cause of pre-mature death and represents a significant unmet medical need, particularly for those patients in which current therapies are not effective.
Symptoms and consequences of poorly controlled asthma include:
- Nocturnal asthma
- Daily wheezing
- High healthcare utilization costs
Effective asthma medications should reduce underlying inflammation in the airways and prevent symptomatic airway narrowing. Control of inflammation is key to the reduction in airway sensitivity and prevention of airway obstruction. Aerovant™ is engineered to target the root cause of asthma by interrupting the Th2 immune response that underlies the inflammation in the lungs of asthmatics by blocking the actions of IL-4 and IL-13 simultaneously.
Asthma results from a dysregulated, hyperresponsive immune system. Some immune cells in allergic asthmatics respond agressively to foreign allergens with the release of interleukins 4 and 13, two key mediators that initiate a cycle of inflammation in the lung. Aerovant™ is an IL4Ra receptor antagonist that blocks the inflammatory effects of interleukins-4 and -13 (IL-4 and IL-13), thereby promoting a more balanced immune response.
Do you have uncontrolled asthma? The American Lung Association has a questionnaire that can help you and your doctor in the diagnosis of uncontrolled asthma: Go to www.asthmacontrol.com
For more information on asthma, contact the American Lung Association (www.lungusa.org)
