Efficacy and safety of reslizumab in the treatment of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis

Abstract

Background: Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), a rare vasculitis with substantial morbidity, is characterized by asthma, eosinophilia, sinusitis, pulmonary infiltrates, neuropathy, positivity for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody, and multiorgan vasculitis. Although treatment options previously included corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, anti-interleukin 5 therapies have gained interest in EGPA treatment. Mepolizumab was approved for and recently benralizumab was found to have safety and efficacy in EGPA.

Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of reslizumab in EGPA.

Methods: In this open-label, pilot study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of intravenous reslizumab (3 mg/kg) in EGPA in 10 subjects. Oral corticosteroid dose, adverse events, exacerbations, symptom control, disease activity, blood markers, and lung function were evaluated before, during, and after 7 monthly reslizumab treatments.

Results: Reslizumab was tolerated and resulted in a significant reduction in daily oral corticosteroid (P < .05). Of the 10 subjects, 3 experienced an EGPA exacerbation during the treatment. One had a severe adverse event, requiring removal from the study.

Conclusion: Yielding similar results to other anti-interleukin 5 biologic medications, reslizumab is generally a safe and effective treatment for EGPA that warrants further study.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02947945.