Tezepelumab Reduces Need for Oral Corticosteroids in Adults With Asthma

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By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

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WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2026 -- For adults with severe, oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma, tezepelumab significantly reduces the need for oral corticosteroids, according to a study published online May 18 in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

Michael E. Wechsler, M.D., from National Jewish Health in Denver, and colleagues examined the oral corticosteroid-sparing effect of tezepelumab in adults with severe, oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma in a placebo-controlled trial conducted across 63 sites in 12 countries. Participants aged 18 to 80 years with physician-diagnosed asthma who were receiving medium- or high-dose inhaled corticosteroids for at least 12 months before screening were randomly assigned to tezepelumab 210 mg or placebo subcutaneously every four weeks for 28 weeks (83 and 39 patients, respectively).

Due to early study termination as a result of recruitment challenges, 25 of the 122 participants (20 percent) did not complete the study. The researchers found significantly higher odds of reaching a category of greater percentage oral corticosteroid reduction at week 28 with tezepelumab than placebo (odds ratio, 2.93). Overall, 30 and 59 percent of participants in the tezepelumab and placebo groups, respectively, had at least one asthma exacerbation over 28 weeks. Adverse events occurred in 57 and 72 percent of patients, respectively; serious adverse events occurred in 8 and 13 percent, respectively. There were three deaths; none were considered causally related to study treatment.

"These findings are important because they show that patients with severe asthma treated with tezepelumab may be able to substantially reduce their dependence on oral steroids without sacrificing asthma control," Wechsler said in statement.

Several authors disclosed ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca and Amgen, which manufacture tezepelumab and funded the study.

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Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-06-04 10:36

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