Antibiotic Improves Asthma Recovery

A new study shows that an antibiotic is effective at treating acute asthma attacks, potentially providing a new way to help asthma sufferers.

Researchers tested telithromycin, made by sanofi-aventis (Paris, France), as part of the TELICAST (TELIthromycin, Chlamydophila, and ASThma) study, involving 278 patients at 70 centers around the world. The patients were enrolled in the study within 24 hours of an acute asthma attack requiring acute medical care. They were then randomized double-blind to either 10 days oral treatment with a single 800-mg dose of telithromycin daily, or placebo in addition to usual treatment. Symptoms and lung function for the patients in the telithromycin group improved significantly compared to those in the placebo group, with improvements being around twice as great at the end of the treatment period. Recovery time was also cut from an average of eight days for the placebo group, to five days for those in the telithromycin group. The study was published in the April 13, 2006, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Traditionally, antibiotics have not proven effective in treating asthma attacks, but this development could open up a whole new area of research in the treatment of asthma,” said author professor Sebastian Johnston of Imperial College London (United Kingdom). "We still need further trials to confirm these results, to investigate the mechanisms of action of this treatment, to see if the same benefits are seen with other related antibiotics, and to see which patients are most likely to benefit.”

Although most acute asthma attacks are recognized to be associated with viral infections, the researchers believe the positive effects of telithromycin may be a result of its impact on the atypical bacteria, Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which may increase the severity of asthma attacks. The researchers also believe the anti-inflammatory properties of telithromycin may play a part in reducing recovery time. Telithromycin, designed to deliver targeted coverage in community-acquired upper and lower respiratory tract infections, is not currently approved for the treatment of asthma.



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