A recently approved drug can help those with asthma take fewer steroid drugs while keeping attacks under control, according to clinical trial results.
People taking the asthma treatment tezepelumab (Tezspire) were nearly three times more likely to achieve greater reductions in daily steroid use while maintaining asthma control, compared to those on a placebo, researchers reported recently in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
“Long-term oral corticosteroid use can have devastating consequences for patients, including diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and significant impacts on quality of life,” said lead researcher Dr. Michael Wechsler, director of the Cohen Family Asthma Institute at National Jewish Health in Denver.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved tezepelumab in 2021 for maintenance treatment of severe asthma, according to Drugs.com. Individuals with asthma self-inject the drug every four weeks.
Tezepelumab works by blocking thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an inflammation-triggering chemical known as a cytokine. By blocking TSLP, the drug can ward off asthma attacks prompted by multiple different triggers.
For the new study, researchers recruited 122 people taking steroids for their asthma and assigned roughly two-thirds at random to take tezepelumab. The rest were provided a placebo.
During a 28-week treatment period, 69 percent of patients taking tezepelumab were able to cut their steroid pill dose by half or more, compared to 44 percent of those on placebo.
In addition, 35 percent of patients on tezepelumab were able to completely stop taking steroids, compared to 21 percent in the placebo group, the study found.
“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 a news release.
Researchers noted that the study terminated early due to slow recruitment and did not reach its intended goal of 207 patients.
“Nevertheless, (the trial) was conducted to a high quality, with almost three-quarters of randomly assigned participants completing the study, with early study termination being the most common reason for non-completion,” researchers wrote in their paper.
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Black Americans are 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with asthma than any other racial or ethnic group and five times more likely to experience asthma-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations than their white counterparts.
Several factors contribute to these disparities, including environmental exposures, barriers to specialty care, and challenges accessing medications and other resources needed to manage asthma effectively.
For Black patients disproportionately affected by asthma, advances that reduce severe attacks may represent more than convenience — they could mean fewer disruptions to work, school, and daily life.
Corticosteroid medications, such as prednisone, can be lifesaving during severe asthma flare-ups. However, repeated or long-term use can increase the risk of side effects, including:
Healthcare providers often work to minimize these risks by prescribing the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible duration, considering alternative treatment approaches when appropriate, and monitoring patients for side effects.
It’s important that patients never stop taking steroid medications without medical guidance.
Here are some questions to ask your healthcare provider about biologic medications for asthma management:
Your asthma treatment plan may need to be reviewed if:
These aren’t signs that you should simply “push through.” They may indicate that it’s time to review your treatment plan with your healthcare provider.
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New therapies won’t solve every barrier that Black patients face when it comes to asthma care. But treatments that reduce severe attacks and lessen dependence on steroid drugs can offer hope for better long-term management.
If your asthma continues to interfere with your life despite treatment, talk with your healthcare provider about whether newer options could be right for you.
More information
The American Lung Association has more on managing asthma.
SOURCES: National Jewish Health, news release, May 28, 2026; The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, May 28, 2026
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