New medication shows promise in treating chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps

The prevalence of chronic sinusitis in China is about 8 percent, meaning it affects approximately 107 million people, according to official estimates. Chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) accounts for 20 to 33 percent of these cases.

Even after surgical treatment, the recurrence rate of CRSwNP remains high, ranging from 20 to 60 percent between 18 months and 4 years post-surgery, warned medical experts. Beyond impacting the individual health and quality of life of patients, these recurrences impose a heavy social and economic burden.

Results from a drug trial showed AstraZeneca and Amgen's new drug Tezspire significantly reduced nasal polyp severity, the need for surgery and anti-inflammatory steroid use in patients with CRSwNP, according to a trial report published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented in early March at the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology/World Allergy Organization Joint Congress in the United States.

The report showed that treatment with Tezspire significantly reduced nasal polyp severity.

Statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements were observed across all key secondary outcomes assessed in the overall trial population.

The drug significantly reduced the need for subsequent nasal polyp surgery by 98 percent and anti-inflammatory steroid treatment by 88 percent compared to placebo.

Results from another trial were also presented, which showed that Tezspire significantly reduced annualized asthma exacerbation rate by 74 percent over 52 weeks compared to placebo in patients in Asia with severe, uncontrolled asthma. Tezspire also considerably improved lung function, asthma control and health-related quality of life compared to placebo.

Joseph Han, vice-chair of the Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery at Old Dominion University, US, and co-primary investigator in the trial, said: "Many patients living with nasal polyps are at risk of repeat surgeries and serious systemic side effects from long-term oral corticosteroids. The results are clinically meaningful and suggest that the drug could greatly reduce the burden of nasal polyps for patients by nearly eliminating the need for future surgery and corticosteroid use and by significantly reducing nasal polyp size and congestion."

Professor Wang Dehui from the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University echoed Han's sentiments, saying this latest research result is of great clinical significance and may eliminate the need for future surgeries and steroid treatments for patients, significantly reducing the disease burden on nasal polyp patients.

Many nasal polyp patients face the risk of repeated surgeries and potential serious systemic side effects from long-term use of various glucocorticoids, he added.