QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS WITH BIOLOGIC INITIATION AMONG SPECIALIST-TREATED US PATIENTS WITH SEVERE ASTHMA

Abstract

<h3>Introduction</h3> Patients living with severe asthma (SA) experience multiple health-related quality of life (HRQoL) impairments. Real-world HRQoL improvements with biologic treatments have not been well-characterized. <h3>Methods</h3> CHRONICLE is an observational study of subspecialist-treated adults with SA who receive biologics or maintenance systemic corticosteroids or are uncontrolled on high-dosage inhaled corticosteroids with additional controllers. Patients enrolled February 2018–February 2022 were asked to complete the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) every 6 months: total score range of 0-100 (0=best possible health), minimal clinically important difference of 4. For patients starting a biologic after enrollment, changes in their latest SGRQ responses were compared for the 6 months before and after initiation. <h3>Results</h3> In total, 81 patients completed the SGRQ before and after biologic initiation. Mean (SD) SGRQ total score decreased from 54.6 (20.2) to 43.5 (24.0), with improvement across symptoms (-19.4), activity (-10.6), and impacts (-9.0) components. Across specific impairments reported by ≥50% of patients before biologic initiation, fewer reported each impairment after biologic initiation; largest differences were for "My coughing or breathing disturbs my sleep" (67% to 40%), "I feel that I am not in control of my respiratory problems" (59% to 36%), and "Walking outside on level ground usually makes me short of breath" (65% to 47%) (<b>Figure</b>). <h3>Conclusion</h3> In this real-world cohort of adults with SA, biologic initiation was associated with meaningful improvements in asthma-related HRQoL. These data provide further insight into the burden SA places on patients and the benefits of biologic treatment.