a board-certified and fellowship-trained ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist at UT Health Houston

Amber Luong, MD, PhD

HCPLive Five at ACAAI 2025

American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting

 in Orlando, leading clinicians from UT Health Houston, the University of Alberta, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and community allergy practices presented pivotal updates in asthma, immunology, dermatology, and anaphylaxis care. This HCPLive Five highlights emerging data across eosinophilic disorders, chronic rhinosinusitis, hereditary angioedema (HAE), anaphylaxis management, and atopic dermatitis, each offering clinicians new insights into rapidly evolving therapeutic landscapes.

Benralizumab Reduces HES Flare in Phase 3 Trial, With Princess Ogbogu, MD

Benralizumab significantly reduced flare events and fatigue in patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES), according to phase 3 NATRON results presented at ACAAI 2025. In an interview with HCPLive, Princess Ogbogu, MD, of the University of Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, highlighted the therapy’s impact on time to first flare, annualized flare rates, and hematologic relapse, noting patients on benralizumab did significantly better than those on placebo. Improvements in PROMIS Fatigue scores emerged by week 4. Safety findings aligned with prior benralizumab data, with mostly mild adverse events.

Dupilumab Shows Promise for Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis in Phase 3 Trial, With Amber Luong, MD, PhD

Dupilumab demonstrated strong efficacy for allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) in the phase 3 LIBERTY AIMS trial, offering a potential new option for this challenging CRSwNP subtype. Amber Luong, MD, PhD, from UT Health Houston, presented data at ACAAI 2025 showing significant improvements in sinus opacification, nasal polyp size, and congestion by weeks 24 and 52, with dupilumab reducing the need for oral steroids or surgery by 92%. The year-long study enrolled 62 rigorously diagnosed patients and met all primary and secondary endpoints. Safety findings aligned with dupilumab’s known profile.

Sebetralstat Shows Promise for On-Demand HAE Treatment in Children, With Adil Adatia, MD

Adil Adatia, MD, from the University of Alberta, presented interim KONFIDENT-KID findings showing that oral sebetralstat safely and rapidly reduced symptoms of hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks in children aged 2 - 11 years. The oral plasma kallikrein inhibitor, already approved for patients ≥12, was administered within 30 minutes of symptom onset, with a median time to first improvement of four hours. No treatment-emergent adverse events were reported, and pharmacokinetic data aligned with adult studies. Adatia emphasized the promise of a fast-dissolving oral option for young children, noting its potential to replace challenging IV therapies and transform timely, at-home pediatric HAE management.

Sublingual Epinephrine Film Rapidly Works in Children, With David Golden, MD

David Golden, MD, from Johns Hopkins, presented phase 1 data showing that AQST-109 (Anaphylm), a sublingual epinephrine film, rapidly reaches therapeutic levels in children, triggering cardiovascular effects within 2 minutes. In 32 participants aged 7 – 17 years, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics closely mirrored adult findings, with therapeutic plasma levels achieved by 5 - 8 minutes and peak concentrations at 10 minutes. Heart rate and blood pressure rose early, confirming fast onset. Golden emphasized that the needle-free film performed comparably to adult data and may offer an effective alternative to intranasal and injectable epinephrine options for children at risk of severe allergic reactions.

Tapinarof Shows Early, Sustained Benefits in Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis, With Druhan Howell, MD

Druhan Howell, MD, a pediatrics-trained allergist practicing in Mobile, Alabama, highlighted sub-analysis data from the ADORING 1 and 2 trials showing that 1% tapinarof cream delivers early, sustained benefits in children aged 2–17 with atopic dermatitis (AD). Across 654 pediatric patients, including those with asthma, allergic rhinitis, or food allergies, tapinarof improved skin clearance, eczema severity, itch, sleep, and overall symptom burden as early as week 1, with effects maintained through week 8. EASI-75 and vIGA-AD™ response rates were significantly higher than vehicle, regardless of comorbidities. Safety was consistent with prior findings, with no new signals.

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This HCPLive Five features advancements in asthma, immunology, and allergy that were presented at the ACAAI 2025 meeting in Orlando.

Dupilumab Shows Promise for Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis, With Amber Luong, MD, PhD

2025 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting 

in Orlando, Florida, Amber Luong, MD, PhD, a board-certified and fellowship-trained ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist at UT Health Houston, presented promising phase 3 data from the LIBERTY AIMS study evaluating dupilumab (Dupixent) for 

—a difficult-to-treat subtype of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).

“What was unique about this study is that all current biologics that are approved for CRS with nasal polyps, all those clinical trials specifically excluded allergic fungal rhinosinusitis because it's such a unique subtype,” Luong told 

 during the meeting. “This is the first that specifically looked at [fungal rhinosinusitis]. It's good to see that this trial was positive, and it just introduces another treatment option in a group of patients that are very difficult to treat.”

The year-long, randomized, placebo-controlled trial specifically enrolled 62 patients meeting stringent AFRS diagnostic criteria, including characteristic computed tomography (CT) findings, presence of nasal polyps, and evidence of allergic mucin-containing fungus. Participants, some as young as 6 years old, were randomized to receive either dupilumab (200 mg or 300 mg; n = 33) every 2 or 4 weeks or placebo (n = 29). The study’s primary endpoint assessed Lund-Mackay CT sinus scores at 52 weeks, with secondary measures including nasal polyp size on a 0-8 scale and nasal congestion severity on a 0–3 scale.

Luong said these results hold promise for patients with AFS, with many experiencing significant improvement in AFRS symptoms from baseline. The trial met its primary endpoint, with sinus opacification scores improving by 50% in the dupilumab arm versus 9.8% in the placebo arm at week 52 (

 <.0001). The study also observed a significant reduction in sinus opacification scores at week 24 (

Patients also exhibited improvement in nasal congestion or obstruction (66.7% in dupilumab arm vs 25.3% in placebo arm at week 24, 

 <.0001; 80.6% vs 11.6 at week 52 (P <.0001), nasal polyp size (60.8% vs 15.2%, 

 <.0001 at week 24; 62.5% vs 3.6% at week 52; 

 <.0001). She also noted a large difference from baseline in patients who needed a rescue oral corticosteroid or surgery (3% for the dupilumab arm vs 31% for the placebo arm). Patients on dupilumab had a 92% lower risk of systemic corticosteroid use or surgery.

“That's hugely meaningful,” Luong said. “Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis is a really unique CRS with [the] nasal polyp group. That group in general already has a subgroup of patients that are recalcitrant in terms of response to treatment, and the current treatments, excluding biologics, are surgery…oral corticosteroids or topical steroids.”

She said that meta-analyses have previously shown that the risk of recurrent surgery was roughly 28% in patients who had AFRS. Surgery can put a burden on patients, with the general anesthesia, its time, and the recovery.

“[Avoiding] any amount of surgery is very clinically meaningful,” Luong said.

Preventing a course of oral corticosteroids can be meaningful, too, she added. Oral corticosteroids may lead to long-term negative effects.

Safety outcomes mirrored dupilumab’s established profile in other type 2 inflammatory diseases. Adverse events in the dupilumab arm included COVID-19 (15%) and nosebleeds (12%).

If approved for this indication, Luong said dupilumab could meaningfully reshape the AFRS treatment landscape, giving clinicians a targeted, steroid-sparing option for patients living with this challenging chronic condition.

“The thought of having someone that young having to undergo repeat sinus surgery through their lifetime is a little bit disheartening, especially for those of us who have to treat it,” Luong said. “Having another treatment option available for those who get recurrent polyps really opens up the landscape in terms of treatment.”

The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) accepted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for the priority review of dupilumab for AFRS, with a target action date of February 28, 2026.

Reported disclosures for Luong include Stryker Corporation, GENZYME Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline, Medtronic, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals

Dupixent® (dupilumab) Pivotal Trial Met All Primary and Secondary Endpoints, Reducing Signs and Symptoms of Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis (AFRS); sBLA Accepted for FDA Priority Review | Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. Published 2025. Accessed November 8, 2025. 

https://investor.regeneron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/dupixentr-dupilumab-pivotal-trial-met-all-primary-and-secondary

Dupilumab Efficacy in Adults and Children Aged 6 and Over with Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis (LIBERTY-AIMS). Poster presented at ACAAI in Orlando, Florida, from November 6 - 10, 2025. 

Phase 3 LIBERTY AIMS data reveal significant reductions in nasal polyps, surgery, and steroid use in patients with AFRS, a challenging CRSwNP subtype.

Amber Luong, MD, PhD

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