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The FDA has approved Tezspire (tezepelumab-ekko), a biologic therapy by Amgen and AstraZeneca, as an add-on maintenance treatment for patients aged 12 years and older with inadequately controlled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

TEZSPIRE is the first and only biologic approved for CRSwNP that targets thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP).

CRSwNP affects up to approximately 320 million people worldwide and is a complex epithelial-driven inflammatory condition characterized by persistent inflammation and benign polyp growths within the nasal cavity.1-5 People living with CRSwNP commonly experience airflow obstruction and symptoms including congestion and an impaired sense of smell. For many patients, current therapies such as systemic and intranasal corticosteroids and repeated sinus surgeries do not offer lasting relief.

“For people living with CRSwNP, every breath can feel like a struggle, and many endure years of recurring symptoms and surgeries without significant relief. The approval of TEZSPIRE represents a meaningful advance, derived from our longstanding focus on complex inflammatory diseases rooted in epithelial biology,” said Jay Bradner, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. “This approval is an important step forward for patients who have long needed more durable options that address the root causes of this disease, while establishing the impact of TSLP inhibition beyond asthma.”

The approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was based on efficacy and safety data from the WAYPOINT Phase III trial, which were presented at the 2025 American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)/World Allergy Organization (WAO) Joint Congress and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine.6,7 In the trial, TEZSPIRE demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in nasal polyp severity and showed near-elimination of the need for surgery and significant reduction in systemic corticosteroid use vs. placebo.

“Over 320 million lives globally are disrupted by chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. The FDA approval of TEZSPIRE brings forward a new treatment option that has demonstrated rapid and sustained symptom improvement, nearly eliminating the need for future surgeries and significantly reducing systemic steroid use,” said Dr. Joseph Han, Vice Chair of Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Old Dominion University, and co-primary investigator of the WAYPOINT trial. “By targeting thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) at the top of the inflammatory cascade, TEZSPIRE offers a novel option for patients who continue to endure the disruption of this disease despite available treatments.”

“Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps is a persistent and often-overlooked disease that can significantly impact daily life, robbing patients of their ability to breathe without congestion and full sense of smell,” said Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). “This approval introduces an innovative treatment option for patients with the potential to help address the ongoing cycle of debilitating symptoms, surgeries and systemic steroid use.”

The safety and tolerability profile of TEZSPIRE in the WAYPOINT trial was generally consistent with its established profile in severe asthma.6 The most frequently reported adverse events in the trial were COVID-19, nasopharyngitis and upper respiratory tract infection.

Regulatory applications are currently under review in Europe, China, Japan and several other countries based on the WAYPOINT trial.

Here are the top health stories for the day:

NEET SS 2025 rescheduled to December 26 and 27: NBE

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has revised the National Eligibility and Entrance Test-Super Speciality (NEET-SS) exam dates for the academic year 2025.

Rajasthan cautions private medical colleges against excess MBBS fees under unapproved quota

Mizoram records 121 deaths from multidrug-resistant TB since January

OGH study flags rise in mystery kidney disease among healthy youth in Hyderabad

A mysterious kidney disease known as Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) is increasingly affecting younger, non-diabetic, urban populations in Hyderabad and surrounding Telangana districts, according to a study led by nephrologists from Osmania General Hospital (OGH) and Apollo Hospitals. Published in the Indian Journal of Nephrology in August 2024, the study highlights that, unlike traditional CKDu cases linked to agricultural labor and heat stress, this urban cohort includes small business owners and service workers with no farming background.

The disease progresses silently, often only detected when kidney damage is severe, requiring urgent dialysis or renal replacement therapy. Kidney biopsies revealed significant scarring and inflammation in the kidney filters, confirming early silent damage. Notably, 40% of patients had a history of consuming unregulated herbal medicines, a potential risk factor requiring closer investigation. Dr. Manisha Sahay, Head of Nephrology at OGH, stresses the urgent need for public health to focus on this urban CKDu subset to improve early diagnosis and preventive strategies.

Reference: Ramavajula, Anitha and Sahay, Manisha and Ismal, Kiranmai and Kavadi, Anuradha and Enganti, Rama and Gowrishankar, Swarnalata; Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology in Telangana: Is It Different?; Indian Journal of Nephrology; doi = 10.25259/IJN_257_2024