26: ‘Game changer’ for severe asthma sufferers

Around 1,400 people each year die from a severe asthma attack; and asthma deaths are 50 per cent more likely in poorest areas compared with the richest.Now, people with severe asthma are being offered a newer type of treatment alongside their usual asthma medicines. These are known as monoclonal antibodies, also referred to as biologics.Biologics are a game changer for people whose lives have been blighted by asthma, helping them to live normal lives – and reducing the risk of a fatal attack. We hear from Joanne Beecroft who has been taking biologics; and from asthma doctor Dr Hitasha Rupani who is leading a national programme to increase uptake of the medicines, run by the NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative with the support of the AHSN Network.The national programme, known as the Rapid Uptake Products programme, focuses on a number of products which have been proved to significantly improve care and reduce NHS costs.Our guests talk to Dr Phil Jennings, AHSN Network Lead for the Rapid Uptake Products.Find out more about the AAC Rapid Uptake Products programme here.