Biologic therapies have significantly improved treatment for patients with severe asthma in Poland, but access remains limited. Around 6,000 people currently receive this form of treatment, while experts estimate that as many as 35,000 patients could benefit. People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are also waiting for access to biologic therapies that have already been authorised in the European Union for selected patient groups.
More than half of people with asthma and around half of people with COPD in Poland may still be undiagnosed, according to specialists cited by Newseria. Spirometry remains the basic diagnostic test for obstructive lung disease.
Estimates presented by the Polish Federation of Asthma, Allergy and COPD Patients’ Associations suggest that more than 4 million people in Poland experience asthma symptoms, while only around 2 million have a diagnosis. COPD may affect about 2 million people, compared with roughly 1.3 million patients registered in the healthcare system with the condition.
Severe asthma affects an estimated 5–10% of people with asthma. These patients may continue to experience symptoms and exacerbations despite high doses of inhaled medication.
Biologic treatment is available in Poland under drug programme B.44. The programme currently includes five active substances with different mechanisms of action.
Dr Aleksandra Kucharczyk of the Military Institute of Medicine said biologic therapies have fundamentally changed the lives of many severe-asthma patients by reducing limitations that previously affected work, school, travel and everyday activity.
However, access remains below the level experts consider necessary. Around 6,000 patients currently receive biologic therapy, while specialists estimate that approximately 35,000 people with severe asthma may ultimately qualify for such treatment.
Changes to programme B.44 taking effect from October 1 include lower eosinophil thresholds in selected qualification criteria, a lower minimum age for some treatments and greater flexibility in switching between biologic drugs.
Clinicians are also awaiting wider access to ultra-long-acting therapies such as depemokimab, which targets the interleukin-5 pathway and can be administered only twice a year.
In COPD, biologic treatment is at an earlier stage. Standard therapy is still based mainly on inhaled medicines, but some patients continue to experience frequent exacerbations despite optimal treatment.
Two biologic medicines — dupilumab and mepolizumab — have been authorised in the EU for selected groups of COPD patients as add-on therapies. They are not yet reimbursed in Poland for COPD treatment.
Clinical studies indicate that biologic treatment in appropriately selected COPD patients may reduce exacerbations by around 20–30%. Specialists emphasise that each exacerbation worsens prognosis, increases the risk of hospitalisation and accelerates loss of lung function.
Doctors are therefore calling for reimbursement decisions and a dedicated treatment programme for COPD patients who meet the relevant clinical criteria.
COPD remains one of the world’s leading causes of death. According to WHO data cited in the article, the disease was responsible for around 3.4 million deaths globally in 2023, or about 6% of all deaths.
