Severe asthma has been transformed by biologic injections — drugs targeting IgE, IL-5, IL-4/13, and TSLP can dramatically reduce attacks and steroid use in the right patients. Research is now refining which biologic suits each subtype and testing simpler regimens for milder asthma.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing newer biologic injections, combination inhalers used as needed instead of daily, treatments for hard-to-treat asthma, and approaches to identify the right biologic faster. Researchers are also studying asthma in children, asthma triggered by allergies and exercise, and overlap with COPD.
Biologic injections
Five biologics now treat severe asthma, often given once a month or less. They cut attacks in half or more for many patients and often allow steroid pill reductions.
As-needed combination inhalers
For mild asthma, using an inhaler with both a steroid and a quick reliever as needed prevents attacks better than relievers alone. Studies are refining who benefits.
Personalized treatment
Blood and breath tests for inflammation markers help match patients to the right biologic. Trials are testing whether starting with these markers improves outcomes.
What to know before you search
Eligibility often depends on asthma severity, blood eosinophil count, IgE level, allergy testing, and how often attacks happen despite inhalers.
What types of trials are currently open
- New medication trials — Testing inhalers, biologic injections, or pills designed to better control asthma and prevent attacks.
- Device trials — Studies of digital inhalers, breath-activated devices, and bronchial thermoplasty.
- Lifestyle and behavior trials — Testing trigger-avoidance, weight loss, and education programs for asthma control.
- Prevention trials — Testing approaches to prevent asthma in children at high risk.
- Observational studies — Following people with asthma to understand triggers, severity, and long-term outcomes.
Recently added Asthma trials
A Study Evaluating Disease Characteristics and Outcomes in Participants With Asthma in Routine Clinical Practice
The main aim of the study to describe the characteristics of participants with asthma across the spectrum of disease severity, including sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, treatment and disease burden, biomarkers, and both disease-specific and generic health-related quality of life. The study consists of two parts: a cross-sectional study, and a prospective follow-up evaluate changes in disease trajectories in participants with asthma.
Potential of Interface Care Models to Deliver More Appropriate Care to Patients With Acute Medical Illness
Every country in the world is experiencing growth in both the size and the proportion of older persons. As a result of the changes, the profile and needs of people with medical illnesses have evolved. How care is delivered to patients has to keep pace with these changes, or patients will experience poor care at high cost and not have their needs met. A new model of care has emerged to meet these challenges: Acute Medical Unit. Despite considerable investment and popularity of this model, questions remain: (i) Who benefits most from this care model? (ii) How may these models be most effectively implemented for the best results? (iii) How effective are these models? Singapore is well-placed to answer these questions with its national healthcare system and excellent research institutions. The investigators plan to study how effective the model is by comparing patients with similar profiles exposed to both these care models compared to how hospital care is usually provided, looking for four differences: (i) how long patients stay in hospital, (ii) how often they use the emergency department (iii) quality of health (iv) cost. Additionally, the investigators seek to characterise patterns of health needs for this group of patients.
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