Severe eosinophilic asthma: a roadmap to consensus

Asthma is widely accepted as a complex heterogeneous condition with diverse pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical presentations, comorbidities, physiological characteristics, pathology and outcomes that is typically best managed by a multidisciplinary team [1–4]. Severe asthma is recognised as a major unmet need with a high personal and social impact, as well as a high burden on healthcare resources [4]. As a consequence of advances in the development of precision medicines for patients with severe asthma, the need to identify asthma subtypes by phenotype based on clinical, functional or inflammatory parameters is becoming a mandatory part of management [4–6]. A task force has identified key consensus issues for defining, diagnosing and treating severe eosinophilic asthma <http://ow.ly/zrvO30axYWx> The contents of this paper reflect the discussions between attending participants at the European Consensus Meeting for Severe Eosinophilic Asthma (November 24 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) where medical attendees from TEVA Pharmaceuticals Europe B.V. were present as observers. The authors have been given full editorial control and independence and TEVA has had no influence on the contents. The following members of the expert group made important contributions at the initial meeting and/or made useful comments on earlier drafts of this editorial: Ratko Djukanovic (University of Southampton, Southampton, UK), Kian Fan Chung (Imperial College, London, UK), Walter Canonica (Humanitas University, Milan, Italy), Alberto Papi (Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy), Chris Brightling (University of Leicester, Leicester, UK), Ildiko Horváth (Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary), Samantha Walker (Asthma UK, London, UK), Guy Brusselle (Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium), Vibeke Backer (Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark), Piotr Kuna (University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland), Elisabeth Bel (University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Luis Perez de Llano (Lucus Agusti University Hospital, Lugo, Spain), and Klaus Rabe (University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany).