MathieuMD / Wikimedia Commons
The standard treatment for chronic sinusitis with polyps is intranasal steroids but surgery is currently the only option for patients who fail to respond.
A study published in JAMA (online, 2 February 2016)[1]
shows that the monoclonal antibody dupilumab, which has previously shown efficacy in asthma and atopic dermatitis, could also treat chronic sinusitis with polyps.
Researchers assigned 60 patients who were previously unresponsive to intranasal steroids to either subcutaneous dupilumab or placebo in addition to mometasone fuorate spray.
After 16 weeks, patients assigned to the monoclonal antibody had a significant reduction in nasal polyp burden. Compared with patients in the placebo group, they also had significant improvements in smell, sinus volume, nasal inspiratory flow and quality of life.
The researchers say that further studies will be needed to compare dupilumab to other treatments or surgery.
References
[1] Bachert C, Mannent L, Naclerio RM et al. Effect of subcutaneous dupilumab on nasal polyp burden in patients with chronic sinusitis and nasal polyposis. JAMA 2016;315:469–479. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.19330
