Mepolizumab, an interleukin-5 antagonist monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated a significant reduction in moderate to severe exacerbations in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the Phase III MATINEE trial. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy and safety of mepolizumab in COPD patients with type 2 inflammation, characterized by elevated blood eosinophil counts.
The MATINEE trial (NCT04133909) involved 806 participants aged 40 years and older who were randomly assigned to receive subcutaneous injections of either mepolizumab or placebo every four weeks, alongside standard of care. The primary endpoint was the annualized rate of moderate to severe exacerbations, with moderate exacerbations defined as those requiring treatment with oral or systemic corticosteroids and/or antibiotics, and severe exacerbations requiring hospitalization for at least one day or resulting in death.
Results from the trial indicated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the annualized rate of moderate to severe exacerbations with mepolizumab compared to placebo over a treatment period of up to 104 weeks. GSK has announced that full study data from MATINEE will be presented at a future medical meeting.
Mepolizumab is currently approved under the brand name Nucala for the maintenance treatment of severe asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. The MATINEE trial suggests a potential expansion of its therapeutic use to include COPD patients with type 2 inflammation.
