Effect of Dupilumab on Blood Eosinophil Counts in Patients With Asthma, Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps, Atopic Dermatitis, or Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Abstract

Background: Transient increases in blood eosinophil counts have been observed in dupilumab clinical trials.

Objective: To assess eosinophil counts and eosinophilia-related treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) across 11 dupilumab clinical trials, comparing adult and adolescent patients with asthma and adult patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), atopic dermatitis, and eosinophilic esophagitis.

Methods: Eosinophil counts, rates of eosinophilia-related TEAEs or treatment-emergent eosinophilia (>1,500 cells/μL), discontinuations, clinical symptoms, and efficacy in patients with asthma or CRSwNP with treatment-emergent eosinophilia are presented.

Results: Transient increases in mean eosinophil counts were observed in dupilumab-treated patients with asthma (mean range across studies at baseline: 349-370 cells/μL; week 4: 515-578 cells/μL), CRSwNP (baseline: 440-448 cells/μL; week 16: 595 cells/μL), and atopic dermatitis (baseline: 434-600 cells/μL; week 4: 410-710 cells/μL), followed by a decline starting by week 24 to baseline or lower. No increases were seen in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (baseline: 310 cells/μL; week 4: 230 cells/μL). In dupilumab-treated patients across all studies, rates of eosinophilia TEAEs were 0% to 13.6%. Clinical symptoms associated with increased eosinophils were rare (seven of 4,666 dupilumab-treated patients, including six cases of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis) and occurred only in patients with asthma or CRSwNP. Eosinophilia was not associated with reduced dupilumab efficacy.

Conclusions: Transient increases in eosinophil counts with dupilumab treatment did not affect efficacy and were rarely of clinical consequence. It remains important for physicians to base judgment on individual patient history and baseline eosinophil counts and to be alert to hypereosinophilic symptoms.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02414854 NCT01854047 NCT02528214 NCT02134028 NCT02912468 NCT02898454 NCT02277743 NCT02277769 NCT02260986 NCT01949311 NCT02379052.

Keywords: Asthma; Atopic dermatitis; Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps; Dupilumab; Eosinophilia; Eosinophilic esophagitis; Eosinophils.