Successful Co-administration of Dupilumab and Anti-tuberculosis Drugs in a Severely Uncontrolled Asthma Patient With Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Cureus. 2024 Aug 13;16(8):e66807. doi: 10.7759/cureus.66807. eCollection 2024 Aug.

Abstract

The co-occurrence of active tuberculosis (TB) in patients with moderate to severe asthma presents unique therapeutic challenges, particularly with the advent of biologics like dupilumab, which targets the interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) pathways in asthma treatment. Despite the general safety of biologics, concerns about immunosuppression and susceptibility to infections like TB persist. This case report discusses a male with severe, uncontrolled type 2 allergic asthma, who experienced multiple exacerbations despite maximal bronchodilator therapy and then concomitantly developed pulmonary TB. This case demonstrates a potential clinical scenario for co-administering dupilumab with anti-TB treatment, suggesting a beneficial approach for similar clinical scenarios and contributing to the literature on this topic.

Keywords: asthma; biologics; case report; dupilumab; tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports