Eosinophil-Driven Diseases (EDDs)
Our ambition to address unmet needs for people with EDDs
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Our commitment to eosinophil-driven diseases
Building on a 50-year heritage in respiratory care and following the science of common pathways and underlying disease drivers from respiratory disease into immunology-driven disease areas, we’re continuing to better understand the important role of eosinophils as key effector cells in a range of potentially devasting inflammatory diseases, also known as eosinophil-driven diseases (EDDs).
EDDs are inflammatory illnesses in which elevated eosinophils are a direct cause or are thought to play a critical role.1 Some EDDs have limited or no approved treatment options, creating a significant unmet need for innovative medicines. We know now that a process called eosinophilic immune dysfunction may be responsible for the eosinophil recruitment and activation that is driving these diseases. Backed by a growing body of evidence, we’re committed to advancing the understanding of the role of eosinophils in inflammatory diseases across Respiratory & Immunology, with the aim to improve diagnosis, patient referrals and timely, appropriate treatment.
Patient Portraits
Greg
– Living with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)
“It was pretty terrifying to not be able to go out and eat and take my wife anywhere without worrying about getting home...or having severe abdominal pain so bad that it just made you bend over in a ball.”
Ginger
– Living with Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA)
“Before this, I was a career person and I exercised a lot and now I can’t do any of that anymore. Your friends kind of disappear when you get sick because nobody wants to sit on your couch constantly and watch movies, but that’s pretty much what you can do. It’s hard for you to get up and do things."
Types of eosinophil-driven diseases
We are currently investigating potential medicines to treat inflammatory, EDDs where unmet medical need remains significant and, in some cases, where we see an increasing prevalence.
Atopic Dermatitis (AD)
Also known as eczema, AD is a chronic disease that causes the skin to become inflamed and irritated, which for many patients can be painful and lead to emotional stress and infections. Half of patients with moderate to severe eczema also suffer from asthma, hay fever (allergic rhinitis), and food allergies.[2,3]
Bullous Pemphigoid (BP)
BP is a rare, autoimmune, chronic skin disorder characterised by blistering, urticarial lesions (hives) and itching. The disorder typically occurs in elderly patients with an average patient age of 80 years old.[2,4]
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COPD is a progressive disease which can cause obstruction of airflow in the lungs resulting in debilitating bouts of breathlessness. It affects an estimated 384 million people worldwide and is predicted to be the third leading cause of death by 2020. Improving lung function, reducing exacerbations and managing daily symptoms such as breathlessness are important treatment goals in the management of COPD.[5,6,7]
Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU)
CSU is a dermatological condition where hives, welts, or swelling under the skin form on the skin and last for more than six weeks. Hives are itchy and can occur anywhere on the body including the face, extremities, chest, back or face. Hives range in size from just a few millimetres to several centimetres.[2,8] CSU has a significant burden on patients’ quality of life including sleep impairments and overall functioning.[9]
Eosinophilic Asthma (EA)
Eosinophilic asthma is a common type of asthma characterised by high levels of eosinophils that can cause airway inflammation.[2,10-12]
Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)
A rare chronic, inflammatory disease of the esophagus characterised by the accumulation of eosinophils in the esophageal lining tissue, resulting in injury, fibrosis and dysfunction that can potentially lead to chronic pain, difficulty swallowing, poor growth, malnutrition and weight loss.[13]
Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA)
A rare, chronic autoimmune disease that is caused by inflammation of small to medium-sized blood vessels, resulting in damage to multiple organs, including lungs, skin, heart, gastrointestinal tract and nerves.[13,14]
Hypereosinophilic Syndrome (HES)
A group of rare disorders characterised by high numbers of eosinophils in blood and tissues, which can cause progressive damage to any organ and, if left untreated, can be fatal.[16] HES most commonly impacts the skin, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system.[16]
Nasal polyposis (NP)
Nasal polyps are growths on the lining of the sinuses and nasal passages. In patients with NP, elevated levels of eosinophils accumulate in the upper respiratory tract.[17] NP can lead to breathing problems, frequent sinus infections or loss of ability to smell.[17]
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References
1. American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders. What is an eosinophil associated disease? Available at: https://apfed.org/about-ead/what-is-an-eosinophil-associated-disease/. [Last accessed: September 2019].
2. Ramirez GA, Yacoub MR, Ripa M, et al. Eosinophils from physiology to disease: a comprehensive review. Biomed Res Int. 2018; 9095275.
3. American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. Atopic dermatitis. Available at:https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/allergy-library/eczema-atopic-dermatitis[Last accessed: April 2020].
4. National Organisation for Rare Disorders. Bullous Pemphigoid. Available at: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/bullous-pemphigoid/. [Last accessed: April 2020].
5. GOLD. Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of COPD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2020. [Online]. Available at: https://goldcopd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/GOLD-2020-FINAL-ver1.2-03Dec19_WMV.pdf [Last accessed: April 2020].
6. Adeloye D, Chua S, Lee C, et al. Global Health Epidemiology Reference Group (GHERG). Global and regional estimates of COPD prevalence: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Glob Health. 2015; 5 (2): 020415.
7. Saha S and Brightling SE. Eosinophilic airway inflammation in COPD. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2006; 1(1):39-47.
8. American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. Hives (urticaria) and Angioedema overview Available at: https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/allergy-library/hives-angioedema. [Last accessed: January 2020].
9. Maurer M, Abuzakouk M, Bérard F, et al. The burden of chronic spontaneous urticaria is substantial: Real-world evidence from ASSURE-CSU. Allergy. 2017;72:2005–2016. doi: 10.1111/all.13209.
10. Wenzel SE. Severe asthma in adults. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005;172:149-160.
11. Coumou H, Bel EH. Improving the diagnosis of eosinophilic asthma. Expert Rev Respir Med. 2016;10(10): 1093-1103.
12. Trivedi SG, Lloyd CM. Eosinophils in the pathogenesis of allergic airways disease. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2007;64(10):1269-1289.
13. American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders. EoE. Available at: https://apfed.org/about-ead/egids/eoe/. [Last accessed: September 2019].
14. American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders. Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA). Available at: https: apfed.org/about-ead/eosinophilic-granulomatosis-with-polyangiitis/. [Last accessed: September 2019].
15. Baldini C, Talarico R, Della Rossa A, Bombardieri S. Clinical Manifestations and Treatment of Churg-Strauss Syndrome. Rheum Dis Clin N Am. 2010; 36: 527-543.
16. American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders. Hypereosinophilic Syndromes. Available at: https://apfed.org/about-ead/hypereosinophilic-syndrome/. [Last accessed: September 2019].
17. American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. Nasal Polyps. Available at: https://aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions-dictionary/Nasal-Polyps. [Last accessed: September 2019].
Veeva ID: Z4-23707
Date of Preparation: April 2020
Date of Expiration: April 2022