Tezepelumab: A New Shot for Stuffy Noses
Welcome to the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Innovations podcast series. In our new segment, The Itch Review, co-hosts Kortney and Payel Gupta, MD, are joined by Michael Blaiss, MD, to chat about the latest asthma and allergy research. Included in this series is an infographic to help you follow along.
This episode reviews the article Tezepelumab in Adults with Severe Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps published in The New England Journal of Medicine on March 1, 2025. It looks at the WAYPOINT study, which evaluated chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (growths in the nose) using the biologic tezepelumab. The medication may help people who have long-lasting sinus swelling and nasal polyps that block breathing and smell.
Doctors followed patients for one year. They measured polyp size, stuffy-nose score, and how many people still needed surgery. Tezepelumab helped most scores get better and was safe to use.
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Tezepelumab as a Potential Nasal Polyp Treatment
The WAYPOINT study is important because it tests a new treatment option for people whose nasal polyps keep coming back.
- What is chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps(CRSwNP) and tezepelumab? CRSwNP means long-lasting swelling inside your nose and sinuses with small bumps called polyps. Tezepelumab is an injectable biologic you get once a month that blocks a protein called TSLP to calm the swelling.
- What was the study? The study lasted one year and included 408 people. Half got the real shot of 210 mg every four weeks. The other half got a placebo (fake medicine) shot.
- What did researchers measure? They checked how big the bumps were, how stuffy noses felt, if people could smell, and if anyone needed extra surgery or strong medicine.
- What were the key results? The bumps got smaller. Noses felt less stuffy. Many people could smell again. Fewer people needed surgery.
- Why is it important to have another medication for nasal polyps? Not everyone reacts the same way. Having more choices means more chances to find the right medicine for each person.
Timestamps for Tezepelumab Journal Club Podcast
01:55 – What is chronic sinus swelling with polyps?
03:40 – How do doctors treat nasal polyps?
04:45 – What is tezepelumab?
06:07 – What was the WAYPOINT study and why is Phase III important?
09:14 – What did the trial look at?
12:17 – What is a head-to-head study?
13:07 – What exams and care did patients get?
14:25 – How much tezepelumab did they give and how often?
15:50 – What were the main things they measured?
18:48 – What does a p-value tell us?
19:34 – Infographic highlights and key results
22:24 – What other shots work for nasal polyps?
24:07 – Why having more medicines helps everyone find the right fit
