BACKGROUND: The efficacy of mepolizumab in the treatment of patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) is already known. However, it is not yet known whether there is any relationship between the age of the patients and the response to this treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the impact of age on the response to mepolizumab in patients with SEA.

METHODS: We carried out a multicentre (8 hospitals), retrospective study, including all adult patients with SEA, in whom treatment with mepolizumab was started, who had received at least one dose of the drug, with follow-up of at least 6 months. Three groups of patients were defined according to tertiles of age (group 1: ?53 years-old, group 2: >53 to ?64, group 3: ? 65 years old) and then we analysed the control of asthma with the Asthma Control Test (ACT), number of exacerbations, number of hospital admissions, dose of inhaled (ICS) and systemic steroids (OCS) and lung function with FEV1.

RESULTS: We included 122 patients, 73% women, mean age 58 years old.  ACT, number of exacerbations, and OCS dose improved similarly in the 3 age groups. The ICS dose did not change significantly in either group. Hospital admissions were significantly reduced in groups 1 and 3. FEV1 improved significantly in groups 1 and 2, the response being clearly higher in the younger group, 439 milliliters versus 174 milliliters (Figure 1).

CONCLUSIONS: Age does not appear to be a limiting factor in the response to mepolizumab in patients with SEA, although the improvement in lung function is greater in younger patients.