Mepolizumab: a new drug programme for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma

Biological treatment involves more and more fields of medicine. This also applies to severe asthma for which a therapy with omalizumab (anti-IgE antibodies for patients with allergic asthma) has been available since 2013, completed by mepolizumab since 1st November 2017 - available in a new drug programme. Mepolizumab is a humanised monoclonal antibody (IgG1, κ), against human interleukin-5 (IL-5), which significantly impacts proliferation, maturation in bone marrow and recruitment and activation of eosiniphils at inflammatory site. It is also considered to be the only eosinophilopoietic factor. It has been confirmed in a number of studies that mepolizumab, used by patients suffering from eosinophillic asthma, decreases the number of exacerbations and reduces systemic glucocorticoid doses. The approval of mepolizumab therapy to trading in Poland is regulated by provisions of the drug programme, discussed in detail further in this paper.