Ongoing projects


A retrospective survey of the time course and nature of the experience of initiating biologic treatment for people with severe asthma

Biologic treatments are expensive with defined criteria for their use, which varies between countries. To ensure that we understand who stands to gain most from biologics, we need to understand in detail how people with severe asthma respond. To further evaluate the response in terms of timelines and the nature of the improvements including narrative of how the benefits evolve, we aim to conduct a retrospective survey of people with severe asthma who have started biologics in routine clinical care.

Project Leaders: Matthew Masoli, Joseph Lanario, Prof Michael Hyland & Rupert Jones



Key Challenges in Severe Asthma Management

These headlines regarding major challenges in severe asthma may set a core discussion around global barriers for optimal care. In an era of clinical and translational research, the consensual recognition of these hurdles identified by both severe asthma experts and their patients works as a motor for real-world unanswered questions. Therefore, we propose that a consensus statement from SHARP experts works as strategic steer that can guide future projects and research priorities around the most important issues to overcome in severe asthma. We also believe that the implementation of harmonized procedures by severe asthma experts may act as a platform for further solutions towards optimal care. We suggest broad cornerstone metrics for local implementation regarding the barriers identified, that SA centres should aim at in order to achieve high quality care.

Project leaders: Henrique Cabrita Rodrigues, Suzanna Belsac, Cleste Porsbjerg



The SHARP Federated Analysis Platform (FAP)

The main objective of the FAP project is to enable analysis of data from individual registries, many of which are not allowed to leave the country of origin because of data safety rules. The FAP uses a distributed model, similar to meta-analysis, where all individual data remain in the host institution while summary aggregate statistical analysis results (using data available in individual registries) are brought together, resulting in powerful and clinically meaningful results.



The Health Economics of Severe Asthma

Main objective: to understand the impact of oral corticosteroid drugs on the health economic aspects of severe asthma management, enable the existing the Italian Budget Impact model for such analysis using Italian registry (SANI) data (already published) to be used in a wider European context.

Projects Leaders: Thomas Paulsson, Arnaud Bourdin, Enrico Heffler



Severe Asthma Questionnaire (SAQ): Burden of Asthma

Main objective: to investigate the real-life impact on the quality of life of living with severe asthma across 11 European countries. The study is collecting longitudinal data to assess changes in Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) via the PatientCoach app or online questionnaires during a 12-month period and is comparing this with other outcome measures, such as asthma control and exacerbations, from the SHARP registry data.

Project Leaders: Matthew Masoli, Jacob Sont, Joseph Lanario



The Case Series of Rare Asthma

This is a programme that aims to provide better understanding of different disease mechanisms of asthma and bring awareness of specific asthma phenotypes by focusing both on very rare asthma cases as well as series of lookalike cases with similar phenotypic features.

Project Leaders: Celeste Porsbjerg



The Burden of Multimorbidity in People with Difficult Asthma

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and health impacts of comorbidities and multimorbidity in people with severe asthma. The results should support better recognition of the wider healthcare needs of people with severe asthma and prompt more holistic treatment approaches to severe asthma.

Project Leader: Ramesh Kurukulaaratchy, Saša Rink, Anna Freeman



Use of LAMAs in severe asthma: a real-life assessment through the SHARP network

The aim of this study is to understand the perspectives and expectations of clinicians across Europe regarding the use of long-acting antimuscarinic antagonists (LAMA) for the treatment of severe asthma.

Project Leaders: Alessandro Marcon & Marco Caminati, Italy



Future projects


Clinical Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes of Aspergillus sensitized severe asthma patients

Project leaders: Sabian Skrgat, Slovenia & Anneke ten Brink, Netherlands, & Sanja Popovic Grle, Croatia



Asthma control in severe asthma patients on biologics depending on their smoking habits

Project leaders: Bilun Gemicioglu, Turkey



Characteristics of severe asthma patients across SHARP Registry at different ages

Project Leaders: Stefania Principe, Netherlands & Marco Caminati, Italy



Former Projects


COVID-19 research extension: Vaccination study

Main objective: to evaluate patients’ perception of COVID-19 vaccination and understand their vaccination status, hesitancy to vaccination, and impact of vaccination on patients’ asthma.

Project Leaders: Apostolos Bossios, Michael Hyland



UNISA study: Use of Nucala In Severe Asthma

Main objective: to understand the use of the anti-IL-5 biologic, mepolizumab, in usual clinical practice (as opposed to clinical trials) and assess the benefits for the mepolizumab-using patient population. The results will help determine which patients starting treatment are likely to benefit most from mepolizumab to control their disease.

Project Leaders: Hans Kroes, Elisabeth Bel, Anneke ten Brinke



The Use of Biologics in Europe

Main objective: to compare the current availability and the rules and criteria of prescription of biologics in European countries.

Project Leaders: Renaud Louis, Anne-Noelle Frix



Fast Moving Project

This was a cross-sectional retrospective analysis of aggregated data from 11 national severe asthma registries that joined SHARP with established patient databases.

The study aimed to compare characteristics of patients in European severe asthma registries and treatments before starting biologicals

First and last authors: Job J.M.H. van Bragt, Anke-Hilse Maitland-van der Zee



COVID-19 research response

Main objective: to increase understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on people with severe asthma so as to provide clear, informed guidance to patients, physicians, national societies, and healthcare systems to be prepared for possible future waves of COVID-19.

Project Leaders, Katrien Eger, Dora Paroczai



The most Bothersome aspects In Patients with severe Asthma and availability in the severe asthma Registries: the BIPAR Study

Main objective: to identify discrepancies between patients and physicians regarding patients’ most bothersome symptoms or problems and to assess whether they are well reflected in the current registries.

Project leaders: Namhee Kwon, Vratislav Sedlak, Ben Ainsworth



Real-Life characteristics of Biologicals-treated severe asthma patients across SHARP Central

Main Objectives: Explore characteristics of anti-IL5(R) starters in different SHARP central registries and compare characteristics of patients before start with anti-IL5(R) across different SHARP central registries with the RCTs. In addition the project aimed to explore the potential discrepancies between real-life initiation of anti-IL5(R) versus eligibility for trials in patients with severe asthma from different European countries.

Project Leader: Stefania Principe, Netherland