Asthma pharmacotherapy in patients with NERD

Katharine M. Woessner, MD, is the head of the Division of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at Scripps Clinic Medical Group in San Diego, US.

Once nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-exacerbated respiratory disease (NERD) is diagnosed in a patient with asthma, is it necessary to modify pharmacotherapy?

A great question. It’s not necessary to modify pharmacotherapy if their asthma is well controlled. But if their asthma is not well controlled, we can add in a biologic therapy now that would also treat both the asthma as well as the nasal polyps; it goes along with NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease.