Biologic Therapy Offers New Hope For Chronic Asthma Patients

By Norhidayyu Zainal

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (Bernama) -- Once an avid mountain climber, diver, cave explorer, marathon runner and long-distance cyclist, Kerol Noraashikin Shafiee never imagined that simple activities such as walking to the bathroom would one day become physically challenging for her.

The mother of five now has severe stage-five chronic asthma, a condition that forced her to give up her active lifestyle.

“Cycling 40 kilometres used to be normal for me. But after being diagnosed with severe asthma, everything changed… I even sold all my sports equipment.

“Today, my biggest achievement is being able to return to work and help support my family despite my health condition,” she told Bernama after the 2026 World Asthma Day Awareness Programme at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM (HCTM) here recently.

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Recalling the early days of her illness, the 45-year-old government employee said the ordeal began when she was pregnant with her second child at the age of 31, when she started experiencing shortness of breath and persistent coughing.

“At the time, I simply bought a blue asthma inhaler from a pharmacy after asking friends for advice, without seeking medical consultation. Although it provided immediate relief, the real problem was never treated,” she said.

Her condition gradually worsened with each pregnancy, becoming especially critical during her fifth pregnancy in 2021 and sixth in 2023.

“During my sixth pregnancy, I was not only struggling with frequent asthma attacks that forced me to sleep sitting upright, but I was also diagnosed with multiple health complications, including SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus).

“The most heartbreaking moment was losing my baby at 26 weeks of pregnancy while I was battling a severe asthma attack, as well as blood clots in my lungs (pulmonary embolism),” she said.

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Kerol Noraashikin, who has a degree in nursing from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said her condition has significantly disrupted her daily life, with environmental factors such as confined spaces, perfume scents, cigarette smoke and weather changes capable of triggering sudden asthma attacks.

She added that she underwent continuous treatment for her various health complications — including slipped disc and chronic sinusitis — as well as used several asthma inhalers to manage her condition. However, her condition became more stable in 2024 after she started taking tezepelumab, a biologic therapy for asthma.

Meanwhile, head of the Endoscopy Services Centre at HCTM Prof Dr Mohamed Faisal Abd Hamid said HCTM, a teaching hospital, is the first under the Ministry of Higher Education to use tezepelumab, with Kerol Noraashikin becoming its first patient.

He said the treatment serves as an additional therapy for stage-five asthma patients whose condition can no longer be controlled even with maximum inhaler use.

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According to him, the treatment is administered through regular subcutaneous injections, usually once a month.

“This biologic therapy works by regulating the immune system to prevent chronic inflammation of the airways. As the first patient to receive this treatment at HCTM, Kerol Noraashikin has shown positive progress,” he said.

Dr Mohamed Faisal, who is also a senior consultant pulmonologist and internal medicine specialist at the hospital, stressed that the treatment must be continued consistently and should not be stopped abruptly without medical supervision, despite its cost exceeding RM100,000 annually.

However, he added that asthma management does not rely solely on medication, but also requires a comprehensive approach that includes identifying attack triggers, managing body weight, and maintaining a healthy diet and environment.

-- BERNAMA