Content Table
The Severe Asthma Patient Conference took place on Saturday 22 November 2025 and was co-chaired by Hilary Hodge, a patient advocate, and Dr Stefania Principe, a healthcare professional.
This free, online event was for people living with severe asthma to learn more about their condition, self-management and the latest research.
Severe asthma experts and patient representatives answered questions from attendees throughout the conference. The questions and answers are shared below, with thanks to all the speakers and contributors who helped provide responses.
Q: Does airway remodelling continue throughout life even with biologic treatments
A: Good question. A clear answer is yet not possible. There is evidence that asthma at the start will give airway remodelling, or when not treated well over time. Bioloigcs give clinically a good improvement but our knowledge what is going in the airways is hard to get. But improving of lung function and less exacerbations might be outcomes of lesser airway remodelling.
Q: Does coughing damage your airways? And at any level? I often try to suppress a cough because I have the impression it damages my lungs but not sure.
A: Coughing is essentially a physiological reflex intended to remove irritating factors either inhaled or formed in the airways such as excess mucous. Therefore, the airways are “built” to cope with this. Of course very persistent, frequent and violent coughing may be part of a vicious circle maintaining or worsening airway inflammation, but normally, the coughing, annoying as it is, is a good thing to help getting rid of phlegm. With optimised treatment, asthma related coughing should decrease.
Q: Is a severe gastrointestinal shutdown—characterized by the stomach and intestines almost completely stopping, causing severe pain and vomiting of undigested food—a recognized early symptom of an asthma exacerbation in patients with severe asthma (allergic, eosinophilic, or mixed phenotypes), and does its occurrence suggest a direct link to a sudden rise in high levels of inflammation (systemic eosinophilia)?
A: Symptoms at the individual level may take many different ways. What is described is not a common “classic” pattern for asthma exacerbation, but from my own primarily scientific point of view, it is known that there are some mechanistic connections with respect to inflammation in the gut and airways.
Q: What roles do RSV and other infections of the airways play in the development of asthma for those who are genetically linked to having atopic allergy (or other comorbidities)
A: There is clinical evidence that the role of RSV, both in children and adults, may be significant. It is therefore a great hope that the new vaccines may help to reduce development and/or severity of asthma. There are studies with this aim about to start or already ongoing. There are also antibody treatments that may be improving care.
Q: Is slow and gentle breathing better for increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) in cells?
A: The overall function of respiratory system is to keep CO2 levels in the lung constant, not too much and not too low. This in turn leads to appropriateoxygenation of the blood circulation bringing oxygen to all cells in the body and eliminating the CO2 that should be excreted from the cells in response to metabolic activity. It is best to try and relax and breathe to your diaphragm.
Q: What research has been carried out into the link between volatile organic compounds (VOC) and asthma exacerbations? Volatile organic compounds are chemicals which turn into gas at room temperature. They are found in many everyday products such as household cleaning products, building and manufacturing materials.
A: There is some research but the outcomes give different results. Overall, a good breathing pattern is essential for everyone to feel themselves healthier.
Q: Has it been explored how having small children could factor in to the higher number of women having severe asthma and any potential need for additional preventive support?
A: Thank you for the question. The sex differences in asthma are very clear and currently the subject of much research from different points-of-view. With good management even severe asthma should not be a reason not to have children. There are also studies suggesting that oral contraceptives as well as pregnancy in fact improves asthma control. But this is of course complex and needs to be discussed with your asthma doctor with consideration to individual factors.
Q: Several official medical websites describe asthma symptoms with phrases such as: “Asthma can lead to FEELINGS of shortness of breath and coughing.” … How can we better communicate the difference between the subjective sensation of breathlessness and the objective risk of suffocation/asphyxia?
A: Thank you for the concern. However, this is really a matter of language interpretation. In my mind, “feeling” is not a word that excludes the feeling of very severe breathlessness. But perhaps others and ELF can follow-up if this is something that should be modified in the future.
Looking at it from a patient perspective rather than clinician perspective it is the feelings that matter. Sometimes a clinician may think from observations or tests that your breathing is reasonable yet you may have noticed a increase in breathlessness regardless of their view. So your personal perception of how you are experiencing symptoms of your condition is relevant, hence there is an argument for referring to feelings, as a Patient’s Quality of Life is a lot due to feelings rather than anything more technically measurable.
From an ELF perspective, patient information should strive for objectivity. Clear and comprehensive information should highlight the physiological risk and explain when to seek urgent medical help. We encourage all patients to provide feedback on any sources that might understate the seriousness of severe asthma and seek out evidence-based resources wherever possible. If you have concerns about the accuracy of any of our resources, please contact us at info@europeanlung.org
Q: What role does genetics across Europe play in asthma development?
A: From a patient perspective, I know epigenetics impacts asthma by influencing gene expression without altering the DNA sequence, through mechanisms like DNA methylation and histone modification. Environmental exposure to air pollution, cigarette smoke, and allergens can cause epigenetic changes to asthma development and symptom severity. These changes can effect regulation of immune cells like airway epithelial cells and T cells which leads to altered inflammatory response and contributes to the heterogeneity of asthma.
From a research perspective, I would agree and say that on a high level, asthma is a heterogenous disease with many different expressions and presumably driving causes. The genetics are particularly expressed for atopic asthma, but they are very complex. Asthma is clearly not a monogenic disease (controlled by a single gene) and probably on the whole more influenced by environment than genetics, but the two classes of factors interact.
Q: what period of time would the exacerbations be measured over
A: In the formal studies, we record it as annual exacerbations, i.e. the number in the past year. However, in clinic, it is obviously followed-up between visits. How frequent they are varies according to regional and individual conditions and needs.
Q: How do patients measure levels of inflammation? In the airways portable pulmonary function tests (PFT) should also give FEV1 values (a test to measure how well lung function) and patients should be taught to know their ranges.
A: There is much interest in the possibility that home monitoring of lung function and lung inflammation measured e.g. as exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) might help self-management. For example, in the ongoing European 3TR-ABC study of new biologics in severe asthma, there is a sub-study where the participants test this strategy. Time will tell how effective this will be, but intuitively, it appears correct to monitor a disease characterised by variability in symptoms and disease expression over time and in the home.
Q: Regarding goal of achieving remission through biologics: Is there a collaboration with the paediatric area for these results to ensure that children don’t accumulate lung damage during their childhood before being offered biologics as adults?
A: Yes often locally on a hospital level and learning from each other. A complicated factor is that starting biologics in childhood is not so easy and for a long time there was a lack of studies to know is it effective and is it safe for children – now there are several biologics that can be used for children with severe asthma. On a research level there is a lot of collaboration between paediatricians and pulmonologists.
Q: If one is on a combination of biological medication for years, takes 2 x InnovAiT and 1 x montelukast daily and has no issues with asthma any longer whatsoever = medication works. What are the chance of getting OFF the InnovAiT/montelukast component and even the biological part?
A: There is still uncertainty about which medication can be safely tapered and more research is needed. Currently, we know that for some patients when there are no asthma symptoms any longer then you can taper with montelukast and reduce the dose of inhaled corticosteroids to low. But there is evidence that after stopping inhaled corticosteroids then the inflammatory parameters increase especially FeNO, which seemed to be linked to decrease in lung function.
Secondly, stopping biologics is, what we know now, not a good choice because your asthma will likely deteriorate over time, typically in 3-6 months.
So changing asthma medication when you are on biologics is always a decision between patient and doctor.
Answered by: Els Weersink
Q: I am in a process to reduce biologics, are there any studies about the reducing of the biologics and at the end possible stopping?
A: Yes there some studies on extending the interval between the injections. For some patients it works very well, but for some patients not. We don’t know yet which patient can easily extend the interval and who cannot.
Yes it seems safe to extend the interval, to stop the biologics is another question. There is one study in which they stop mepolizumab and then after 3-6 months asthma symptoms come back and eosinophils (a sign of inflammation) in the blood are increasing. So, stopping we still don’t know if we can advise this and more research is needed.
Q: Are biologicals safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding?
A: This is still an area of research, particularly for biologicals which have been developed more recently. For the biologic treatment omalizumab, we have a lot of experience with it, it is safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding. For the other biologics there are not enough data to give the advice it is safe. But sometimes after careful discussion with your pulmonologist you can decide to continue because it is better to have control of your asthma. In all cases patients should discuss it with your doctor.
Q: Does remission on biologics coexist with atopic asthma seasonal issues?
A: Severe asthma with a major allergic component may be improved by the treatment with T2 biologic but flares may be seen during the particular season because of high levels of allergens triggering mast cell-driven responses.
Answered by: Sven-Erik Dahlén
Q: My experience with tezepelumab is, that a right temperature is important if it is to work well. Have you heard from other patients that temperature of the medication is important?
A: As discussed by the panel on the day, this is not a widely reported experience. One of the professionals will follow-up with the manufacturer to learn if it has been studied – if not, perhaps it should be.
Q: I had a phenotype not compatible for the available biologics at the time. I was on permanent azithromycin for a number of years to reduce my prednisolone reliance to good effect. Is there any further research and studies on this?
A: Yes there is, but it takes a long time before new medication is on the market. But yet a lot of new biologics and other medications are in the pipeline. There is quite a lot of research on azithromycin and related compounds for asthma, you could look for research from Peter Gibson in Australia as well as Guy Brusselle in Ghent who have published on this topic.
Q: I like to use as little medication as possible and in regards also to the costs of biological treatment, do we know enough to go to the absolute minimum of taking biological treatments? I am happy to have a specialist supporting to find out where the minimum medication necessary to do the job health and cost wise
A: The cost for the society and the individual may be greater if frequent worsening occurs because of sub-optimal treatment. The side-effect profile of the vast majority of asthma medications is favourable, including biologics.
Answered by: Sven-Erik Dahlén
Q: Reducing / weaning off medicine: In my experience there seems to be an ever-present goal of trying to reduce baseline inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) once a certain level of stability has been achieved. What is the purpose of this? Can you please share any research that this actually works for patients in the “severe asthma bucket”?
A: It is certainly challenging to find the right balance between pharmacologic treatment and other important actions in the overall care. The questions and reflections illustrate the need for holistic care managed by a team including nurses, physical therapists and many other specialists including the doctor to find the right treatment for the individual including not only medicines but also non-pharmacological treatments.
Q: For which asthma phenotype is tezepelumab most effective?
A: Tezepelumab is as the other biologics effective in eosinophilic so-called type 2 asthma, but in addition, there is data supporting a favourable treatment response in patients that have a lower degree of eosinophilic inflammation. Time and results from ongoing studies will tell exactly how effective tezepelumab is in a broader context of severe asthma.
Q: Biologics are great once the correct therapy is found to help the patient. However the cost of biologics is a barrier and also the inability to stop them without risking the return of the disease. So these are treatments for life?
A: For now we think it is treatment for life, although there is growing evidence that the interval between injections can be extended.
Q: I’m using dupilumab and wondering about switching from dupilumab to depemokimab. Will there be problems to switch or is it possible without side effects?
A: We have no experience in this as depemokimab is not yet available on the market (November 2025). Please discuss it with your pulmonologist when depemokinab is available in your country.
Q: Will any of the new biologicals in development also be effective for non T2 asthma?
A: Masitinib may be suitable because mast cells are not only important in the allergic reaction but also in non-type 2 inflammation, but further research is needed.
Q: I asked about biologics a number of years ago and was told I had too many allergies for it to work effectively. I think I was diagnosed with COPD shortly after. As a lifelong asthmatic is it worth me asking about biologics again?
A: I would suggest so. Non control on allergic reaction which gives asthma symptoms belongs to type 2 inflammation and can be treated by biologics. So please discuss it again with your doctor.
Q: Are there any new biologics for atopic asthma driven by IgE on the horizon?
A: Well, even the current biologics have an effect in atopic asthmatics with high eosinophils. There are some follow-up drugs of omalizumab that have shown efficacy, but they have not yet reached the market for different reasons. There is also a lot of research ongoing to find drugs that block mast cells and the receptors of mast cell mediators, because these cells are important in allergic reactions.
Q: For ICS it is relatively common to take different types of steroids (to cater to different particle sizes, medicine working slightly differently etc.). Can biologics also be combined to target different inflammatory responses?
A: In some cases it can be considered to treat with 2 biologics, especially dupilumab when it gives hypereosinophilia it can be giving better results on symptoms of asthma or on exacerbation rate. A severe asthma centre is the best place to get good advice on this topic for your individual situation.
Q: Is there further data on tezepelumab in patients who are dependent on oral corticosteroids?
A: Yes, a recent publication shows that it is working in cortico-dependent patients.
Q: Are there any updates on molecules in development, addressing both IL-5/IL-13 in a single molecule?
A: There are drugs in development targeting both IL13 and TSLP in the same product therefore targeting both IL13 and IL5 pathways.
Q: What are biosimilars?
A: Biological medicines are now widely used to treat severe asthma. Each biological treatment is developed by a pharmaceutical company and they set the price which healthcare systems then pay for each patient to use. Biologicals can be very effective treatments, but they are also very expensive. Pharmaceutical companies typically get a patent which allows them to exclusively produce and market any new medication for 20 years. As some biological treatments have now been available for over 20 years, generic versions of the treatments are now being developed and rolled out, these are called biosimilars. Common generic medicines include paracetamol, amoxicillin and ibuprofen – these are marketed and sold under many different brand names. Biosimilars are rigorously tested to make sure they are just as safe and effective as the original biological treatment. Biosimilars tend to cost less than the original biological treatment.
Q: If there is an infection, should the patient stop or postpone the injection with the biological?
A: No, there no evidence that this approach is useful.
Q: Can we become resistant to our biologic over time and what happens then?
A: We have now over the years no suggestion that this happens.
Q: What do you think of giving once in three weeks Dupilumab 300mg?
A: In a patient who is really well controlled with dupilumab, some doctors propose to increase the time between injections but there are still no data in the literature and this is still not recommended by guidelines as it is not evidence-based.
Q: Many patients are given a treatment plan and will contact their hospital if in need of even more help than they can manage at home…
A: Thank you for this thoughtful comment. I believe this is very different between countries. Some require as you say exacerbation documented in the patient records whereas others accept retrospective assessment in the history taking by the doctor during a visit. Please consider also that there is a global assessment including also in particular oral corticosteroid use, comorbidity status, and other aspects in the decision about therapy.
Q: Would the advice to those with asthma be to make sure they get infections sorted rather than try and fight them on their own and use antibiotics if needed? Or would it be multiple cases of pneumonia that can cause COPD in a never smoker?
A: It is known that most asthma exacerbations are triggered by allergens or are viral. In a less number it is caused by a bacteria. Viral airway infection has not been treated by antibiotics. In asthmatics a viral infection gives more and longer symptoms compared to a healthy individual. This increase of symptoms may be treated by a course of prednisolone. Developing COPD is not so clear in asthma and more research is needed into this topic.
Q: During a recent asthma clinic appointment, I was put in contact with a physio who specialised in dysfunctional breathing. Amazing the difference made in a short period. I keep up with the breathing exercises every day; it made a real difference.
A: Again, evidence of the importance of non-pharmacological treatments in the overall care. Thank you for sharing your experience.
You can find online information about breathing exercises here: www.breathetrain.co.uk
Q: Why are so few people referred to breathing/lung physiotherapy?
A: Not always everyone is aware of their breathing problems. There are also challenges from the health services perspective – sending a patient to physiotherapy, especially someone with expertise in breathing, is not always financed by health insurance or on the national health service.
Q: Do inhaled therapies have local effects or systemic?
A: Inhaled corticosteroids can give both local and systemic effects and this is dose dependent. So, the systemic effects are more often if one is on high dose and these are the same as for oral steroids.
Q: Has there been any research into any link between long-term steroids and large airway problems such as Excessive Dynamic Airway Collapse (EDAC), tracheobronchomegalies (TBM) and inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO)? How does large airway disease affect quality of life in asthma?
A: There is some research on large airways problems but I am not aware of research specifically from the point of view of effects of corticosteroids.
Q: Really great to have mental health included in this session. Are there are resources I can take to my doctor to discuss this as a part of my care?
A: ELF’s mental wellbeing and lung health guide is a good place to start – this was developed by our patient groups in partnership with lung and mental health professionals. https://europeanlung.org/en/information-hub/living-with-a-lung-condition/mental-wellbeing-and-lung-health/. It’s available in 15 languages and you can print it or share with your asthma team.
Q: How is it explained that psychological comorbidities predict a worse response to biologic treatment? Which studies would be convenient for me to look at?
A: It is very common for mental health to be affected by long-term health conditions like asthma and for a condition like asthma to be affected by mental health. Some useful general online resources include:
In terms of biologic responses in asthma, yes, psychological conditions are consistently associated with less good biologic responses. This reflects the complex way in which comorbidities affect a condition like asthma and that while biologic drugs can often successfully tackle the airway disease process, they cannot address co-factors that affect the airways like mental health. These two papers give more information on this topic:
Q: Do you have any tips for maintaining proper breathing while eating? That is my one last issue after having breathing therapy
A: Our patient representative reports: “I eat really slow. Taking my time, chew well and make sure I drink enough with my meals. If my breathing is really bad, I would eat in small portions spread over more time.” In general, this is also the type of support one can get from a physical therapist specialised in lung diseases.
Q: Concentrating on breathing is extremely scary, I find that in combination with movement – such as yoga – it is more bearable.
A: Thank you for the encouraging report on your experience! From my experience as a patient, yes it can be scary, you can use the lessons you learn in your yoga class when doing other things, use the learning from the experience.
Q: In the Netherlands we are strongly focussing on medical support from a distance, do you think going forward this strategy will impact the way that healthcare can improve or decrease the quality of severe asthma support?
A: Medical support from a distance is very protocolised. It is very important to have in these protocols signs that symptoms are no longer only from asthma. So, then you have to have contact with your doctor for a more personalised approach. Otherwise as a patient you should have the opportunity to ask for contact with the lung nurse or doctor.
Q: Do you believe that there is a correlation between sinus infections and asthma exacerbations and/or respiratory infections and if so, do you believe this correlation has been sufficiently studied so that patients can have a comprehensive treatment? Thank you.
A: Thank you for this question. Yes, there is a clear relationship between chronic rhinosinusitis, colds and increase of asthma symptoms or even an exacerbation. Treating both upper and lower airways is essential for good control of your asthma. So, a good cooperation between the ENT doctor and pulmonologist is essential.
Q: Is fatigue a treatable symptom? And what are the treatment options?
A: Fatigue is a complex symptom and needs to be investigated carefully. A lot of causes can be related to fatigue. So, knowing what the cause is for fatigue it will help to find the right treatment. When no cause can be found or only partly then treatment is a lot more difficult.
Q: I have a number of conditions I am trying to manage alongside my asthma but I often feel that these are treated separately. Relationships between them have never been explored (not openly with me.) Should I bring this up with my team?
A: Yes, please do so.
Q: I often feel I need to clear my throat. This also gives me a feeling of slight congestion in my upper chest, although I don’t feel breathless. I am now thinking this is linked to my acid reflux. Could this also be impacting my sleep, which is not good? I rarely sleep well.
A: This is a symptom that needs more investigation, please discuss it with your doctor.
Q: Asthma management is complex when one adds the comorbidities. How can a 15 minute respiratory specialist visit even begin to address some of them? There is not enough time in clinical visits.
A: Yes, time restraints and healthcare organisation is often challenging.
Q: Should patients with a range of lung conditions be under a specific consultant for each lung disease as well as a respiratory consultant for the asthma? For example, should a severe asthma patient with bronchiectasis, lung colonisation by Haemophilus influenzae, Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillus (ABPA) and airway remodelling see different specialists for each condition?
A: I believe different severe asthma centres and lung clinics deal with the division of labour between different specialists differently. It often relates to local organisation and the competence and resources available. The global view, integrating different aspects / specialisms in one multidisciplinary team is the effective strategy for holistic treatment of the patient.
Q: What about aspergillosis as a common comorbidity of asthma? This has had a significant impact on my asthma and it was undiagnosed for many many years. Now I am diagnosed and treated for both together, my quality of life has greatly improved. Is there much research on aspergillosis and asthma?
A: Yes, this receives considerable attention nowadays. ELF hosted an Aspergillosis Patient Conference in November 2025. You can watch the recording to learn more about managing aspergillosis here: https://europeanlung.org/en/get-involved/events/aspergillosis-patient-conference-2025/
Q: Do you have experience of Vasculitis Giant cell arteritis in connection with severe eosinophilic asthma, presently treated with biologics?
A: Eosinophilic vasculitis often goes along with asthma and we should treat this with prednisolone and add on anti-IL5 such as mepolizumab, benralizumab. Giant cell arteritis is normally not linked to eosinophils. So, when both come together then maybe vasculitis plays a role. So eosinophilic vasculitis and asthma is very common to go together and prednisone-sparing treatment as biologics, mepolizumab and benralizumab should be a start.
Q: Do you think that UK GPs are aware of the absolute necessity of comorbidity treatments?
A: The concept of multimorbidity in relation to asthma is very new, so understanding and awareness amongst healthcare professionals across the healthcare spectrum may be limited. However, it is the focus of a large amount of current research so it is hoped that the findings of that work will inform clinicians on this subject. The MiDAS tool is one example of that which can act as a guide to assess multimorbidity for healthcare professionals. Find out more about the MiDAS tool here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(25)00135-3/fulltext
Q: Is there a link with musculoskeletal symptoms and asthma – not related to obesity?
A: From current research, there is no direct link between asthma and musculoskeletal symptoms.
However, when on oral steroids, the steroids can induce myopathy resulting in weaker muscle strength. Furthermore, tapering steroid dose can give these symptoms, we have to be aware about this. With frequent asthma symptoms, people may reduce the active lifestyle, which leads to more of these symptoms, sometimes at a low exercise level it comes up. It is essential to exercise with a coach with knowledge about asthma and breathing pattern. From a patient perspective, being breathless, not being able to regulate your breathing puts stress on my secondary breathing muscles and if overused/overstressed this can cause me pain in my ribs and bones.
Q: I have COPD, but my severe asthma has sometimes been included as one part of my COPD (with chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, emphysema) and by other physicians been seen as a separate comorbidity. Which is the case?
A: This is still a discussion in the field. It is important that both diseases are treated well, and when there is eosinophilic inflammation, it has to be treated well. Furthermore, attention to all comorbidities is essential either for COPD or asthma.
Q: If you fall into group MMP1 (as discussed in Dr Anna Freeman’s talk during the severe asthma conference 2025) does that mean your morbidity outcome is more severe? Or does the classification Dr Freeman mentioned not work like that?
A: It is not about more severity of asthma, but there are other causes that give an increase in asthma symptoms especially when there is adrenal insufficiency. This complicates the disease to figure out which symptoms belong to which. Comorbidities need their own treatment.
Q: What would be the best healthcare provider to talk to about the co-morbidities? The respiratory consultant, the specialised nurse or the GP?
A: Ideally the severe asthma team including all these specialists. But your personal physician irrespective of care level should be the point of entry.
Q: In the period preceding an aspergillosis exacerbation I consistently experience migraine episodes. For me this is now a reliable indication for an upcoming exacerbation. Are migraines known as a comorbidity in severe asthma?
A: Till now I am not aware of migraine as a comorbidity, but migraine can go together with other diseases. So, for you it is important to listen to your body to recognise the symptoms before an exacerbation.
Q: How do you know if you have adrenal insufficiency?
A: Adrenal insufficiency gives some specific symptoms as Dr Ramesh mentioned in his presentation including extreme tiredness, weight loss and loss of appetite, joint pain and muscle weakness. For more details on the symptoms of adrenal insufficiency please visit: https://www.pituitary.org.uk/information/adrenal-insufficiency/
These symptoms you can discuss with your doctor and then there are blood tests to see if these symptoms belong to adrenal insufficiency. Initially that might include an early morning cortisol test to assess your body’s natural steroid producing ability or a short synacthen test to assess in more detail.
Q: How much training do doctors actually have about adrenal insufficiency? So many of them don’t understand the difference between adrenal replacement steroids and asthma treatment steroids. Are there any resources for patients to give to GPs and ER doctors?
A: Dealing with adrenal insufficiency due to treatment of severe asthma is a matter for specialists where pulmonologists and endocrinologists often collaborate closely.
Q: When an asthma patient has adrenal insufficiency, is he/she also immunocompromised? And does vaccination help to prevent infections?
A: At a very high general level, yes in both cases.
Q: Regarding adrenal insufficiency, what length of steroid course taken before you start to realise you have an issue?
A: A normal course of prednisolone shouldn’t give adrenal insufficiency. Chronic use of prednisolone can give adrenal insufficiency but not in all patients. So, when tapering the oral steroids, the doctor must always be aware of the potential for adrenal insufficiency in this situation.
The event covered:
Attendees heard from people living with severe asthma and healthcare professionals, and had the option to ask questions during a Q&A.
Dominique Hamerlijnck has a Masters in Philosophy, specialised in ethics and a Masters in Business Administration. Dominique is one of the European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI) fellows. Dominique has worked as a patient expert especially in the field of severe asthma. She has been successful in getting the patient voice heard and included in development in care and medicine and device development. Dominique is involved in the SHARP Severe Heterogenous Asthma Research collaboration, Patient-Centered Clinical Research Collaboration and many other research projects.
Prof. Florence Schleich is a pneumologist and researcher at the University of Liège (CHU Liège). Her research focuses on airway inflammation, asthma phenotyping, and biomarkers to guide precision medicine. She has leadership roles in the Belgian respiratory society and also co-chairs the SHARP Clinical Research Collaboration of the European Respiratory Society.
Hilary Hodge is a severe asthma patient and the patient co-chair of SHARP, a European project aiming to improve outcomes in severe asthma. Originally from the United States, Hilary now lives in France.
Dr Ramesh Kurukulaaratchy is Associate Professor at the University of Southampton and Honorary Consultant in Respiratory & General Medicine plus Allergy at University Hospital Southampton, United Kingdom (UK). Ramesh led the Regional Difficult Asthma Clinic at Southampton for 11-years and developed it as a multidisciplinary team. His research interests include studying the development of asthma and allergy across the lifetime, identifying predictors of asthma and allergy-risk and potential ways of preventing asthma and allergy development. He is involved in several long-term asthma and allergy studies through the Isle of Wight research group. He also leads the WATCH study of difficult asthma at Southampton, studying difficult asthma subtypes at both clinical and molecular levels and has a particular interest in the concept of multimorbidity.
My name is Rikki Müller, I'm 60, and I've suffered from respiratory conditions since I was born.
My lungs conditions include Asthma, Bronchiectasis, and COPD, and I have a number of other conditions in my sinuses, nose, throat, and heart that interact with my respiratory problems.
I found learning more about my conditions enabled me to not only understand them better but helped me advocate for my needs and received better medical treatment as a result.
Stefania Principe is a respiratory physician from the University of Palermo, Italy and a PhD student at the Academic Medical Centre at the University of Amsterdam. Stefania’s research focuses on precision medicine in severe asthma, targeting the right treatment to the right patient.
Sven-Erik Dahlén (MD, PhD, Fellow of ERS and BPS) is professor of asthma and allergy research at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and the Lung- and Allergy Clinic at Karolinska University Hospital. He is recognised for translational research on biological effects of eicosanoids (Leukotrienes, prostaglandins and related compounds) and the use of eicosanoid metabolites as biomarkers in asthma. He is leading international and national consortia for phenotyping of severe asthma (BIOAIR, U-BIOPRED, BIOCROSS, and the asthma part of 3TR). He has much experience with both preclinical research and clinical trials for the development of new treatments for asthma.
Dr Els Weersink is a pulmonologist and researcher at the Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Netherlands. As a health professional she works with adults and young people to manage chronic lung disease, including asthma and cystic fibrosis. She is passionate about finding the best treatment together with the patient and being able to quickly apply new developments.
The conference was held in English, with live transcription and subtitles available in multiple languages. For all language options, please check here: https://www.wordly.ai/translator-languages
A special thank you to our asthma patient advisory group and conference planning group, who organised this event. Their input ensured that the programme is relevant, accessible and empowering for all.
This conference is supported by SHARP (Severe Heterogeneous Asthma Research collaboration, Patient-centred), a Clinical Research Collaboration funded by the European Respiratory Society (ERS).
ELF events are free of charge so they can be accessible to everyone. If you’re able, please consider supporting us with a donation. Your contributions help us continue providing inclusive, patient-focused events that amplify the voice of people living with lung conditions. Make a donation.
