Effects of Mepolizumab Compared to Placebo on Airway Physiology in Patients With Eosinophilic Asthma: MEMORY Study (MEMORY)

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients must be able to give written informed consent prior to participation in the study, which will include the ability to comply with the requirements and restrictions listed in the consent form.
2. Male or female patients at least 18 years
3. Physician-diagnosis of asthma and evidence of asthma as documented by either reversibility of airflow obstruction (FEV1 ≥ 12% or 200 ml) demonstrated at visit 1 or visit 2 .
4. ICS dose must be ≥ 1000 μg/day BDP or equivalent daily with or without maintenance oral corticosteroids.
5. Treatment in the past 12 months with an additional controller medication for at least 3 successive months, e.g., long-acting beta-2-agonist (LABA), leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA), or theophylline.
6. Persistent airflow obstruction as indicated by a pre-bronchodilator FEV1 < 80% predicted recorded at Visit 1 or < 90% for patients on oral corticosteroids.
7. An elevated peripheral blood eosinophil level of ≥ 300/µL that is related to asthma or ≥ 150/µL in patients treated with oral corticosteroids as maintenance therapy demonstrated at visit 1 or in the previous 12 months
8. Confirmed history of two or more exacerbations requiring treatment with systemic corticosteroids (intramuscular, intravenous, or oral), in the 12 months prior to visit 1, despite the use of high-dose inhaled corticosteroids. For patients receiving maintenance corticosteroids, the corticosteroid treatment for the exacerbations must have been a two-fold increase or greater in the dose.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Current smokers or former smokers with a smoking history of ≥ 10 pack years (number of pack years = (number of cigarettes per day / 20) x number of years smoked). Patients who have not smoked for ≥ 6 months before visit 1 and have < 10 pack years can be included into the study.
2. Presence of a clinically important lung condition other than asthma. This includes current infection, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, or diagnoses of emphysema or chronic bronchitis (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease other than asthma) or a history of lung cancer.
3. Patients who have received omalizumab [Xolair] within 130 days of Visit 1.
4. Patients who have received any biological to treat inflammatory disease within 5 half-lives of visit 1