A new experimental drug is found helpful to ease the severe asthma attacks which are often controlled by oral steroids. Two studies have observed that the regular use of mepolizumab not only reduces asthma aggravations but also the people under experimental use had been noticed with the decreased levels of eosinophils-the white blood cells considered as a probable reason of asthma.

The phenomenon involves the blockage of a protein interleukin-5, the vital part for the growth of eosinophils. Though the exact functioning of eosinophils is not known exactly, it has long been found that its levels rise during asthma exacerbations.

Both the studies observed that mepolizumb reduced aggravations in severe prednisone-dependent asthma and along with the improvement in the quality of life. Moreover the people on mepolizumb were capable to cut the dosage of prednisone to cure the severe asthma attacks.

Its is very important to note that unlike, serious side effects of the oral steroid prednisone, mepolizumb was not linked with any serious side effect in either study. But the researchers also added that the studies were too small and spread over a short period of time, so they were not sure about the absence and lower ratio of side effects to be occurred.

The researchers are of the view that this treatment will be helpful for the people suffering from severe asthma (caused by eosinophils), but this cannot be said certainly because it’s on experimental level, and this is very expensive at the moment. So, the treatment is to be studied on wider population with different severity levels of asthma.