Caution is urged over “game changing” asthma drug

Research commentators have urged caution over the results of a study of a new asthma drug that has been hailed as a “game changer,” saying that much larger trials are needed.

Last weekend newspapers carried stories with headlines such as, “Asthma pill provides hope to millions of sufferers and could replace inhaler,”1 “Asthma drug ‘game changer’ could revolutionise treatment,”2 and “First new asthma pill in 20 years hailed as ‘wonder drug’ by sufferers.”3

A press release from the University of Leicester, UK, which led the research, described fevipiprant, a prostaglandin D2 receptor 2 (DP2 receptor) antagonist, as “The first new asthma pill for nearly 20 years [that] has the power to significantly reduce the severity of the condition.”4

It reported the findings of a trial in 61 …