New biologics for asthma: which patients, which agents, which results, at what cost?
Lunchtime sessionChairs: J. Drazen (Boston, United States of America), K. Rabe (Grosshansdorf, Germany)
Aims: Multiple biological agents have recently become available for treating asthma and are being heavily promoted by industry. The translational scientist views them as biologically informative tools, while the clinician views them as new ways to help difficult-to-treat patients. These different views lead to important questions that this session seeks to answer. They include, but are not limited to, How do these agents exert their effects? What do we really know about these treatments and how should they be used in clinical practice? How are the available agents similar and different? Which side effects should be closely monitored? Do these treatments modify the “natural course” of asthma? Are these treatments worth their cost?