UK Approves Groundbreaking Drugs for Chronic Sinusitis

Long-lasting biologic drugs are poised to significantly improve the lives of many in the UK suffering from severe chronic rhinosinusitis. These advanced treatments target the underlying immune response driving inflammation. Two such drugs, depemokimab and tezepelumab, received approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) this month, making them available for private purchase. Further appraisal by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is underway for dupilumab and tezepelumab, potentially bringing them to NHS patients.

The new therapies have demonstrated success in reducing nasal polyps and alleviating persistent symptoms, including a perpetually streaming nose and loss of smell. Crucially, they also reduce the need for oral steroid treatments, which carry significant long-term health risks, and decrease the frequency of necessary surgical interventions. For individuals with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), a condition affecting approximately 11 percent of UK adults, these advancements offer substantial hope for improved quality of life.

Previously, treatment options for severe CRSwNP were limited, often involving steroid nasal sprays, antihistamines, or surgery, with polyps frequently returning. Biologics represent a paradigm shift by precisely targeting inflammatory pathways. Administered via injection, some require only a six-monthly dose, offering a more convenient and effective long-term management strategy for a condition that has long been overlooked and inadequately treated.