Mepolizumab Yields Lower Rate of Moderate/Severe Exacerbations in COPD

MONDAY, May 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with a history of exacerbations and a blood eosinophil count of at least 300 cells/µL, mepolizumab leads to a lower annualized rate of moderate or severe exacerbations, according to a study published in the May 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Frank C. Sciurba, M.D., from the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving patients with COPD, a history of exacerbations, and a blood eosinophil count of at least 300 cells/µL who were receiving triple inhaled therapy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive mepolizumab 100 mg or placebo subcutaneously every four weeks for 52 to 104 weeks (403 and 401 individuals, respectively).

The researchers found that the annualized rate of moderate or severe exacerbations was significantly lower with mepolizumab than placebo (0.80 versus 1.01 events per year; rate ratio, 0.79). Compared with placebo, the time to first moderate or severe exacerbation was longer with mepolizumab (419 versus 321 days; hazard ratio, 0.77). There were no significant between-group differences seen in measures of health-related quality of life and symptoms. A similar incidence of adverse events was seen in the mepolizumab and placebo groups.

“These findings indicate that mepolizumab treatment provides additional benefit to patients receiving guideline-based maintenance therapy alone,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including GSK, which manufactures mepolizumab and funded the study.

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