New therapies and management strategies in the treatment of asthma: patient-focused developments

It is increasingly recognized that large proportions of patients with asthma remain poorly controlled with daily symptoms, limitation in activities, or severe exacerbations despite traditional treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and other agents. This suggests that there is considerable scope for the refinement of traditional guidelines on the use of inhaled therapies in asthma and also a need for the development of novel therapeutic agents, particularly for the treatment of severe asthma. This review aims to discuss a range of emerging treatment approaches in asthma. Firstly, we will set the scene by highlighting the importance of achieving good asthma control in a patient-focused manner and discussing recent work that has furthered our understanding of asthma phenotypes and paved the way for patient-specific treatments. Secondly, we will review new strategies to better use the existing therapies such as inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta(2)-agonists that remain the mainstay of treatment for most patients. Finally, we will review the novel therapies that are becoming available, both pharmacological and interventional, and discuss their likely place in the management of this complex disease.