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According to results of a recent study, an accessorized pre-filled syringe (APFS) proved to be “functional, reliable, and performed equally well in the clinic and at home” for patients with severe, eosinophilic asthma.
In order to determine the feasibility of the at-home use of an APFS, 116 patients with severe asthma despite the use of medium- or high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting ß2-agonists were included in the study. Patients received up to 5 doses of benralizumab 30mg on weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 via an APFS.
Administration of the first 3 doses took place at a study site while the remaining doses were given at home by the patient or caregiver. Outcomes of the study included the percentage of successfully used APFS, blood eosinophil counts, average Asthma Control Questionnaire 6 scores, and safety.
The study authors reported that, “Nearly all dispensed APFS were successfully used in the clinic and at home (Week 0: 116/116, 100%; Week 4: 116/117, 99%; Week 8: 115/115, 100%; Week 12: 112/114, 98%; Week 16: 108/109, 99%).” Of the total 573 APFS dispensed, 1 malfunctioned and 1 was considered nonfunctional because it was not returned. The study authors also reported that patient-use error only led to 2 unsuccessful at-home administrations.
“Mean Asthma Control Questionnaire 6 scores decreased from baseline through all post-baseline time points, and nearly complete depletion of eosinophils was observed at the end of treatment,” the study authors stated. The most common adverse events reported by patients in the study were nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, and sinusitis. Mild or moderate injection site reactions were experienced by 4% of patients (N=5).
The APFS proved to be a reliable and effective option for the at-home administration of benralizumab for patients with severe asthma.
An image of the device used in the study can be found here.
Reference:
Ferguson GT, Mansur AH, Jacobs JS, Hebert J, Clawson C, Tao W, Wu Y, Goldman M. Assessment of an accessorized pre-filled syringe for home-administered benralizumab in severe asthma. Asthma and Allergy. April 2018. DOI: 10.2147/JAA.6157762.
