Asthma Drug's hidden effects revealed in small study

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Eligibility for mepolizumab treatment according to clinical practice; * age between 18 and 75 years; * diagnosis of severe eosinophilic refractory asthma, defined as peripheral blood eosinophil count (BEC) \> 300 cells/μL and at least two documented exacerbations within the previous 12 months; * ongoing treatment with high daily doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) combined with long-acting β2-agonists (LABA), plus at least one additional controller medication for a minimum of 12 months. Exclusion criteria: * current smoking; * diagnosis of other chronic pulmonary diseases; * coexisting chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps; * use of systemic corticosteroids at any dose within the 6 weeks prior to enrollment; * use of immunosuppressive therapies; * receipt of live attenuated vaccines within 30 days prior to enrollment; * current or recent history (within the last 5 years) of malignancy, except in cases of complete remission; * diagnosis of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA); * upper or lower respiratory tract infections within 30 days prior to signing informed consent or during the screening/run-in period; * any clinically significant abnormalities identified during screening through physical examination, vital signs assessment, hematology, or clinical chemistry, which, in the opinion of the investigator, could pose a risk to patient safety or interfere with study outcomes or compliance. * known immunodeficiency (primary or secondary); * pregnancy; * concurrent treatment with other biologics for asthma or other conditions (except for stable allergen immunotherapy, defined as an unchanged dose and regimen at screening); prior biologic therapy for asthma within 6 months before starting mepolizumab; planned surgical procedures during the study period; * participation in another interventional or post-authorization safety study.