In the phase 3 head-to-head MANDARA study (NCT04157348), benralizumab demonstrated noninferiority to mepolizumab in inducing remission (defined as Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score BVAS of 0 and oral glucocorticoid OGC dosage ≤4 mg/day at weeks 36 and 48) in patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). This analysis investigated a more stringent definition of remission that included discontinuation of OGCs and being relapse-free. Patients aged ≥18 years with documented relapsing or refractory EGPA receiving OGCs at ≥7.5 mg/day with or without immunosuppressive therapy for ≥4 weeks before enrollment were randomized (1:1) to benralizumab at 30 mg or mepolizumab at 300 mg subcutaneously every 4 weeks for 52 weeks. The proportion of patients achieving remission off OGCs, defined as BVAS of 0, OGC dose of 0 mg/day (at weeks 36 and 48) and no relapses during the double-masked period, was assessed. Patients (n = 140) were randomized to benralizumab (n = 70) or mepolizumab (n = 70). The adjusted percentage of patients with remission off OGCs was 23.5% (n = 16) with benralizumab versus 11.1% (n = 8) with mepolizumab (difference 12.47 95% confidence interval 0.46-24.48, P = 0.042). Of those who achieved remission off OGCs, 100% of benralizumab-treated patients and 98.6% of mepolizumab-treated patients achieved remission within the first 36 weeks of treatment. The administration of anti-interleukin-5/receptor (IL-5/R) therapies, benralizumab and mepolizumab, enable discontinuation of OGCs in some patients with EGPA, while avoiding relapses. These findings suggest that adding anti-IL-5/R therapy to standard primary treatment for patients with EGPA may improve response.
Wechsler et al. (Sun,) studied this question.