New Asthma Therapy Addresses Unmet Need

A device that has been in development for more than 10 years is now available for patients who have severe asthma. The Alair system is a catheter-based treatment that gives an alternative for treating asthma when medications haven’t worked. The device is used to perform bronchial thermoplasty, a procedure that delivers energy to the airway that is converted to heat. The heat that is generated reduces excessive airway muscle, which tends to occur in patients who suffer from chronic asthma, according to Gerard Cox, MD, professor of medicine at McMaster University (Ontario). Drugs do not remove excess airway muscle. FDA approved the device in April, but Cox expects that results of a recent study will undoubtedly improve device adoption.

In the most recent study, the Air2 trial, patients experienced a statistical benefit in the quality of life. In this case, a better quality of life means fewer visits to the ER and fewer loss of days to work, school, or daily activities due to severe asthma. In addition, a five-year follow-up study didn’t reveal any adverse events, scarring, or narrowing of cell walls.