Mepolizumab in severe uncontrolled CRSwNP: a real-life multicentre study in Northeast Italy.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of mepolizumab as add-on therapy to intranasal corticosteroids for the treatment of severe, uncontrolled Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP) in a real-life setting in the Triveneto region of northeast Italy.

Methods: Patients with severe CRSwNP receiving mepolizumab were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months from the first administration. At baseline and at each follow-up, patients underwent nasal endoscopy, completed the Sinonasal Outcome Test 22, Visual Analogue Scales for smell, nasal obstruction, rhinorrhoea and facial pain, the Nasal Congestion Score and the Asthma Control Test. Peak nasal inspiratory flow, Sniffin' Sticks Identification Test and blood eosinophil count were also evaluated.

Results: Ninety patients from twelve different rhinological units were enrolled in the study. Both patient- and physician- derived outcome measures significantly improved within the first month after biological treatment initiation, maintaining the benefit at subsequent follow-ups. Nine percent of patients discontinued the treatment due to lack of benefit within the first year. No major adverse events were reported.

Conclusions: Mepolizumab is effective in improving nasal obstruction and the sense of smell in patients with severe uncontrolled CRSwNP, based on both patient- and physician derived outcome measures.