Dupilumab Shows Long-Term Efficacy in Children with Type 2 Asthma, Regardless of Allergy Status

New research published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology highlights the long-term benefits of dupilumab in children aged 6 to 11 years with moderate-to-severe type 2 asthma, showing significant reductions in exacerbations over 2 years, regardless of whether they had an allergic phenotype.

The study, a post hoc analysis of the VOYAGE and EXCURSION trials, assessed dupilumab’s efficacy in children with or without allergic asthma, defined by total serum IgE levels and specific aeroallergen sensitization. Patients received add-on dupilumab (100/200 mg every two weeks) or placebo in the first year (VOYAGE), and then all patients received dupilumab in the second year (EXCURSION).

Results showed a marked reduction in annualized exacerbation rates for children treated with dupilumab:

• Allergic group: 0.333 with dupilumab vs. 0.651 with placebo in VOYAGE, further improving to 0.117 in the second year.
• Non-allergic group: 0.429 with dupilumab vs. 0.749 with placebo, with rates dropping to 0.122 in long-term treatment.

Children who initially received placebo but later switched to dupilumab also showed rapid improvement, reinforcing the therapy’s consistent benefits over time. Additionally, total serum IgE levels, a marker of allergic inflammation, were significantly reduced in the allergic group—a change sustained for up to 2 years.

“Dupilumab reduced allergic symptoms and exacerbations for up to 2 years in children with moderate-to-severe type 2 asthma, irrespective of baseline allergic status,” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Fiocchi A, Papadopoulos N, Bacharier L, Phipatanakul W, et al. Long-term effects of dupilumab on children with type 2 asthma with or without evidence of allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Volume 155, Issue 2, AB232