According to a recent post-hoc analysis of the ANANKE trial published in the Dovepress- Journal of Asthma and Allergy, the use of Benralizumab therapy not only delivered lasting and profound improvements in the Italian population with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) who are new to biologic therapies but also in those who have previously experienced them.

The efficacy of Benralizumab was based upon the outcomes of both treatment-naïve and biologic-experienced patients over 96 weeks. SEA patients with earlier biologics experience were divided into subgroups based on their previous exposure to Omalizumab or Mepolizumab.

Overall, 124 (76.5%) naïve and 38 (23.5%) bio-experienced patients were evaluated, 13 patients (34.2%) swapped from Mepolizumab, 21 patients (55.3%) swapped from Omalizumab, and 4 patients (10.5%) received both biologics. The highest annual exacerbation rate (AER) was experienced by the Omalizumab group. The longest duration of SEA, the highest prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis and the highest daily oral corticosteroid dosage was witnessed by the patients in the Mepolizumab group. 

In all the groups, Benralizumab decreased any and severe AER by more than 87% and 94% at 96 weeks. Lung function was preserved, with key improvements detected in the Mepolizumab group and a 100% plunge of the oral corticosteroid dose. The Asthma Control Test (ACT) score improved in the naive group although its increase was more variable in experienced patients with biologics; with a noticeable change between Omalizumab and Mepolizumab subsets.