Severe Asthma Questionnaire (SAQ) and Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) as Early Predictors of Biologic Response in Severe Asthma

Background: Biologic therapy in asthma can be life-changing and affect health-related quality of life, but symptoms are rarely used in the assessment of response. Aim: To examine the change in health-related quality of life and asthma control between starting a biologic and assessment of biologic response, assessing whether this change can provide early prediction of eventual clinical response at 12 months. Methods: A service evaluation of severe asthmatics initiating a biologic at the Royal Devon NHS trust between 2019 and 22. Health-Related Quality of Life (Severe Asthma Questionnaire) and asthma control (Asthma Control Questionnaire-6) was captured at baseline, 8 weeks, 16 weeks and 12 months. Patients were classified as responder or non-responder using NICE Criteria for biologic response. Independent samples t-tests were used to determine statistical difference in change from baseline patient reported outcome measure scores between responder and non-responders. Results: One hundred and eight initiations (103 patients) of biologic therapy were included. At 8 weeks and 16 weeks, responders had greater improvement in Severe Asthma Questionnaire & Severe Asthma Questionnaire Global compared to non-responders (p<0.05). Improvement in Asthma Control Questionnaire only achieved significance between all-responders and non-responders at 16 weeks (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study provides evidence of the early and sustained improvement in health-related quality of life and symptoms after starting biologic therapy. The findings support the use of the Severe Asthma Questionnaire and the Asthma Control Questionnaire as per the Core Outcome Measures Sets for Severe Asthma (COMSA). We have shown that health-related quality of life and asthma control can assist earlier assessment of response and non-response to biologics.