“Asthma, the most common chronic airway disease worldwide, is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, with 3624 deaths annually in the US and approximately 365 000 deaths annually worldwide. Severe refractory asthma affects approximately 1% to 5% of patients with asthma and is defined as disease that remains uncontrolled despite treatment with high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) plus 1 or more additional controller therapies (eg, long-acting β-agonists) in patients who are adherent to therapy, use correct inhaler technique, and receive treatment for comorbidities that may exacerbate asthma (eg, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease). Patients with severe refractory asthma may experience accelerated loss of lung function and have increased mortality rates associated with exacerbations than individuals with milder asthma.”

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