David Myles

Clinical and inflammatory characteristics of the European U-BIOPRED adult severe asthma cohort

U-BIOPRED is a European Union consortium of 20 academic institutions, 11 pharmaceutical companies and six patient organisations with the objective of improving the understanding of asthma disease mechanisms using a systems biology approach. This cross-sectional assessment of adults with severe asthma, mild/moderate asthma and healthy controls from 11 European countries consisted of analyses of patient-reported outcomes, lung function, blood and airway inflammatory measurements. Patients with severe asthma (nonsmokers, n=311; smokers/ex-smokers, n=110) had more symptoms and exacerbations compared to patients with mild/moderate disease (n=88) (2.5 exacerbations versus 0.4 in the preceding 12 months; p<0.001), with worse quality of life, and higher levels of anxiety and depression. They also had a higher incidence of nasal polyps and gastro-oesophageal reflux with lower lung function. Sputum eosinophil count was higher in severe asthma compared to mild/moderate asthma (median count 2.99% versus 1.05%; p=0.004) despite treatment with higher doses of inhaled and/or oral corticosteroids. Consistent with other severe asthma cohorts, U-BIOPRED is characterised by poor symptom control, increased comorbidity and airway inflammation, despite high levels of treatment. It is well suited to identify asthma phenotypes using the array of “omic” datasets that are at the core of this systems medicine approach. Severe asthma results in more airway inflammation, worse symptoms and lower lung function, despite increased therapy http://ow.ly/QznR3

Asthma research in Europe: a transformative agenda for innovation and competitiveness

Asthma is highly prevalent, often starting in infancy and persisting throughout life, and is associated with high morbidity and burden. It is a major global health challenge with growing impact, affecting more than 300 million people worldwide and at least 10% of all Europeans [1]. Furthermore, it is the most prevalent long-term condition in children [2]. Approximately 5–10% of asthma cases are so severe that current treatments do not work, and over five million people in the European Union (EU) fall into this category. Asthma research in Europe: a transformative agenda for innovation and competitiveness http://ow.ly/YssR30aNG9h

Building the investment case for asthma R&D: the European Asthma Research and Innovation Partnership argument.

Clinical & Experimental Allergy Building the investment case for asthma R&D: the European Asthma Research and Innovation Partnership argument S. M. Walker, C. Akdis, S. E. Dahlen, R. Djukanovic, J. Edwards, L. Garcia-Marcos, S. Johnston, M. Kupczyk, T. Martin, D. Myles, S. Palkonen, N. Papadopoulos, P. Powell and J. Riley Research & Policy, European Asthma Research & Innovation Partnership, Asthma UK, London, UK, Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, Asthma and Allergy Research, IMM Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Medicine, Southampton NIHR Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, University of Southampton, Department of Paediatrics, Paediatric Respiratory and Allergy Units, Arrixaca University Children’s Hospital, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Airway Disease Infection Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK, Medical University of Ł od z, Ł od z, Poland, Respiratory Therapeutic Area, Respiratory Franchise, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, East Hanover, NJ, USA, Asthma Clinical Discovery, Respiratory Therapy Area Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Hertfordshire, UK, European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA), Brussels, Belgium, Allergy Department, University of Athens, Athens, Greece, Allergy & Paediatric Allergy, University of Manchester, Manchester, European Lung Foundation, Sheffield, UK