For the over 260 million globally living with poorly controlled asthma, getting control is key to maintaining their quality of life.¹ However, the definition of asthma control differs from patient to patient. Many even consider their condition well controlled but still experience multiple flare-ups, doctor visits and/or an emergency room visit each year^2-3.

People living with asthma deserve the peace of mind to know that their condition doesn’t have to stop them from living a normal life. On World Asthma Day, and in support of “asthma care for all” – this year’s theme set by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) – we’re committing to helping patients around the world take critical first steps towards asthma control by helping them understand the factors, inside and out, that impact their disease.

Over the years, we’ve worked to better comprehend asthma’s complex biology, focusing our efforts on helping people with uncontrolled asthma treat their disease at the root. For many, the cause of their condition may be underlying type 2 inflammation^4-6.

Type 2 inflammation occurs when the immune system becomes overactive and can result in a person’s airway narrowing, making it difficult for them to breathe^6-8. Research shows that 70-88% of people with asthma may have underlying excessive type 2 inflammation^8-11.

But medical treatment for asthma is only one part of the puzzle. There are also external factors that can impact a person's ability to manage their condition — many that go beyond their immediate control^12-13.

As part of our commitment to address the totality of factors contributing to asthma, Sanofi & Regeneron partnered with the Copenhagen Institute of Future Studies to support the creation of the Severe Asthma Index, a first-of-its-kind tool that evaluates approaches to preventing and managing severe asthma across 29 different countries. This resource provides a critical roadmap for local policymakers, healthcare providers, public health officials and patient advocates to identify and advance tangible actions that can be taken in both the clinical and community settings to improve outcomes for asthma patients.

Now, more than ever, it’s time ​to address the hurdles that prevent asthma patients from fully managing their condition. Everyone can play a role in addressing the obstacles they face.

This World Asthma Day, commit yourself to taking small steps. For people with asthma, that means talking to a doctor to create a personalized asthma plan. For the broader public, that means learning more about the barriers to asthma control to better support those with the disease.

Together, we can all make a difference in the lives of people with asthma. One Breath at a Time.

References:

1. Song P, Adeloye D, Salim H, et al. “Global, regional, and national prevalence of asthma in 2019: a systematic analysis and modelling study.” J Glob Health. 2022.12, 1-11.
2. Price et al. “Asthma control and management in 8,000 European patients: the Recognise Asthma and Link to Symptom and Experience (REALISE) survey.” NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. 2014. 12(24):14009.
3. Sastre et al. “Insights, attitudes, and perceptions about asthma and its treatment: a multinational survey of patients from Europe and Canada.” World Allergy Organ J. 2016. 4(9):13.
4. Fahy JV. “Type 2 inflammation in asthma--present in most, absent in many.” Nat Rev Immunol. 2015;15(1):57-65.
5. To, T, Stanojevic S., Moores G, et al. “Global asthma prevalence in adults: findings from the cross-sectional world health survey” MC Public Health 2012, 12:204 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/204.
6. Robinson, M. Humbert, R. Buhl et al. “Revisiting Type 2-high and Type 2-low Airway Inflammation in Asthma: Current Knowledge and Therapeutic Implications.” Clin Exp Allergy, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 161-175, 2017.
7. Dunican EM, Fahy JV. “The role of type 2 inflammation in the pathogenesis of asthma exacerbations.” Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2015;12 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), S144-S149.
8. Tran TN, Zeiger RS, Peters SP, et al. “Overlap of atopic, eosinophilic, and TH2-high asthma phenotypes in a general population with current asthma.” Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2016.116(1):37-42.
9. Buhl R. et al. “Prospective, Single-Arm, Longitudinal Study of Biomarkers in Real-World Patients with Severe Asthma.”J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020 Sep;8(8):2630-2639.e6.
10. Jackson DJ, et al. “Characterisation of patients with severe asthma in the UK Severe Asthma Registry in the biologic era.” Thorax. 2021 Mar;76(3):220-227.
11. Heaney LG, et al. “Eosinophilic and Noneosinophilic Asthma: An Expert Consensus Framework to Characterize Phenotypes in a Global Real-Life Severe Asthma Cohort.”Chest. 2021;160(3):814-830.
12. Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). “Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention,” 2020.
13. AAFA. Oral Corticosteroid Stewardship Statement. November 2018. Available at: https://www.aafa.org/media/2244/oral-corticosteroid-stewardship-statement-november-2018.pdf.