Guiding principles for use of newer biologics and bronchial thermoplasty for patients with severe asthma

Background: Severe asthma poses significant disease-related and economic burdens in the United States. Challenges in practice include how to define "severe asthma" for a given patient, knowing which are the right tests to perform and when, and having a better understanding of a patient's asthma phenotype. Furthermore, current guidelines do not address a clear, practical approach to treatment that is based on a patient's asthma phenotype.

Objective: To develop a consensus on the definition of severe asthma, the role of biomarkers and phenotyping severe asthma, and the use of newer biologic therapies and bronchial thermoplasty to help guide practicing clinicians.

Methods: A roundtable meeting was convened with a panel of severe asthma experts to discuss areas in practice that are not adequately addressed by current guidelines, specifically phenotype-guided treatment.

Results: We describe a consensus on the definition of severe asthma, asthma phenotyping with the use of available biomarkers, and guiding principles for newer biologic therapies and bronchial thermoplasty.

Conclusion: To optimize therapy and improve outcomes such as daily symptoms, quality of life, exacerbations, and hospitalizations, a clear picture of a patient's asthma phenotype is needed to guide therapy. Determining asthma phenotypes is the foundation of precision medicine for this persistent, often difficult-to-treat disease.