A Perth-based clinical trial is currently recruiting patients to test a new drug for the treatment of asthma.
A clinical trial led by researchers from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital is testing a novel drug to treat asthma patients.
Asthma is a common chronic disease of the airways, affecting 2.7 millions Australians in 2018, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. People with asthma suffer from regular episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, chest tightness and fatigue. These symptoms occur because of the widespread narrowing of their airways.
The driving factors behind asthma development are not fully understood, but studies suggest a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental exposure to particles causing allergic reactions.
While some of the current treatments for asthma are highly effective, some carry significant side effects or are prohibitively expensive.
The only new drugs for the treatment of asthma developed in the past two decades are specialist-prescribed injections, highlighting the need to identify new, more effective and accessible treatments.
With this goal in mind, the new clinical trial is testing a new generation of asthma drugs, developed by pharma giant AstraZeneca. The new drug is an engineered anticalin protein, designed to bind to interleukin-4 receptor alpha and block the action of two cytokines responsible for lung inflammation in asthma.
Key Information
Potential participants: adults with asthma under the age of 75, who take a combination inhaler regularly, such as Symbicort, Fostair, Seretide, Breo, Flutiform.
Participants who complete the trial will receive $5,000 in compensation.
Details about the clinical trial are available here:
https://www.linear.org.au/trials/register-for-linears-upcoming-asthma-study/
For more information, contact lead researcher Dr John Blakey, at resp.scgh@health.wa.gov.au.