Table 1

Summary of trial outcomes from therapies targeting specific molecular targets in asthma

Therapy	Target	Patient population	Outcome	Reference
SCH527123	CXCR2	Severe asthma	Reduction in sputum neutrophil percentage and mean absolute neutrophil blood count (at week 4, recovered at week 5). Fewer mild exacerbations and lower ACQ score.	134
AZD5069	CXCR2	Persistent asthma Moderate persistent neutrophilic asthma	No reduction in severe exacerbations. Reduction in neutrophil counts in bronchial mucosal tissue, induced sputum and blood.	135 136
Golimumab	TNF	Uncontrolled asthma	No meaningful clinical outcome.	137
Etanercept	TNF	Severe asthma Refractory, mild/moderate asthma	Reduction in ACQ and AQLQ, and improvement in lung function. Reduction of histamine in sputum.	138 139
Nemiralisib	PI3K	COPD Uncontrolled asthma	Reduction in activation and recruitment of neutrophils in COPD. No meaningful clinical outcome in uncontrolled asthma.	124 125
Losmapimod	P38MAPK	COPD Severe asthma	No meaningful clinical outcome in COPD. Corticosteroid sensitivity was recovered in PBMCs of severe asthma.	140 141
Roflumilast	PDE4	Asthma	Improvement in lung function. Reduction in eosinophil and neutrophil counts and airway inflammation.	142
GSK2190915	5-Lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP)	Persistent asthma	Reduction in symptom scores, SABA use and urinary leukotriene E₄.	143
Macrolides: azithromycin		Severe asthma	Improved AQLQ score in non-eosinophilic asthma. Reduced exacerbations in asthma. Reduced Hi, IL-6, IL-1b.	126 144 145
Brensocatib	DPP-1	Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis	Reduction of neutrophil serine protease activity. Improvements in clinical outcomes.	127
Brodalumab	IL-17 receptor	Inadequately controlled moderate to severe asthma	No meaningful clinical benefit observed.	146
Tocilizumab	IL-6 receptor	Mild asthma	Reduction in level of C-reactive protein, IL-6 and soluble IL-6R. But treatment reported no effect on allergen-induced bronchoconstriction.	147

ACQ, asthma control questionaire; AQLQ, asthma quality of life questionaire; DPP-1, dipeptidyl peptidase 1; IL, interleukin; PBMC, peripheral blood mononuclear cell; PI3K, phosphoinositide 3-kinase; TNF, tumour necrosis factor.