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The Telegraph reports: First new asthma pill in 20 years hailed as 'wonder drug' by sufferers
The new drug, called Fevipiprant, works by stopping inflammatory cells getting into the airways while also repairing damage to prevent attacks. It is likely to halve the number of severe attacks, and potentially save hundreds of lives each year. Asthma charities said the new medication showed 'massive promise,' while sufferers trialing the drug said it had changed their lives.
"A unique feature of this study was how it included measurements of symptoms, lung function using breathing tests, sampling of the airway wall, and CT scans of the chest to give a complete picture of how the new drug works," said Professor Christopher Brightling, Clinical Professor in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Leicester. "Most treatments might improve some of these features of disease, but with Fevipiprant improvements were seen with all of the types of tests"
[...] The drug, which is produced by the pharmaceutical company Novaratis[sic. Novartis], is now in phase three trials. Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Policy at Asthma UK, said: "This research shows massive promise and should be greeted with cautious optimism. "More research is needed and we're a long way off seeing a pill for asthma being made available over the pharmacy counter, but it's an exciting development and one which, in the long term, could offer a real alternative to current treatments."
But in an additional quote reported in the Guardian, Brightling seems to indicate more optimism than Walker for a quick turnaround: 'If further trials confirm the drug's potential, it could become available to patients on prescription from a doctor in "more than two but less than three years' time"'. If you want to get an idea of significance of a 'phase three trial', the NHS has an overview of phases one to four.
Additional Coverage:
pharmatimes.com,
The Lancet , and
abstract on PubMed.
(Score: 4, Informative) by zeigerpuppy on Tuesday August 09 2016, @10:02AM
One thing that has been left out of the commentary on this drug is that it has only been assessed for efficacy for a subtype of asthma, so-called eosinophilic asthma.
This is asthma which has raised numbers of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) associated with chronic inflammation and thickening of the basal membrane in the lungs.
Also, the studies are quite short in duration (12 weeks).
There is huge money in treating asthma, beware of the hype!
New treatments are great but I smell a big sell.
(Score: 2) by jdavidb on Tuesday August 09 2016, @12:37PM
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday August 09 2016, @04:57PM
Doesn't James 5:15 say to pray when you're sick (implying to exclude earthly medicine)? Besides, you'd be letting doctors RULE over you, and we can't have THAT! Maybe God INTENDED you to have this asthma, did you ever think of that? It could be your cross to bear.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by jdavidb on Tuesday August 09 2016, @05:44PM
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday August 09 2016, @06:53PM
Luke and James would have Had Words With One Another (TM) then. Nice try, but you're deflecting: there is either a contradiction here, Luke vs. James, or one (or both, hell) of those is a forgery. Oooooops!
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by jdavidb on Tuesday August 09 2016, @07:21PM
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday August 09 2016, @09:18PM
Nope :) Sorry, but it really isn't, much as you want it to be. Don't worry, though; that anthology of murder, torture, incest, rape, and genocide is FULL of stuff like that.
I always did wonder what the point of praying to an omniscient and absolutely-sovereign being who exists outside the normal spacetime continuum was though. Especially since he supposedly has a Divine Plan (TM). Unless it was part of the Divine Plan (TM) to make you grovel? But this raises issues with the concept of free will...
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 4, Touché) by jdavidb on Tuesday August 09 2016, @09:25PM
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings