2023 Volume 37 Issue 5 Pages 484-490
Mepolizumab, a biologic, has been approved for insurance coverage to treat severe asthma in patients aged ≥6 years and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis in adults in Japan. It targets interleukin-5, i.e., eosinophils, and is effective in eosinophilic diseases as it works by suppressing eosinophilic inflammation. In asthma, mepolizumab reduces the rate of exacerbation as blood eosinophil count increases. Therefore, the appropriate medicine should be selected based on biomarkers of the disease. In this review, we explain the mechanism of action and indications for mepolizumab in asthma and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, with a focus on interleukin-5 and eosinophil function.
