METHODS FOR TREATING OR PREVENTING ASTHMA BY ADMINISTERING AN IL-4R ANTAGONIST

1 - 131 . (canceled)

132 . A method for reducing the incidence of one or more asthma exacerbations or improving one or more asthma-associated parameters in a subject suffering from eosinophilic asthma comprising administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition comprising an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R), wherein the antibody or antigen-binding fragment comprises three heavy chain complementarity determining region (HCDR) sequences comprising SEQ ID NOs: 148, 150, 152, respectively, and three light chain complementarity determining region (LCDR) sequences comprising SEQ ID NOs: 156, 158 and 160, respectively.

133 . The method of claim 132 , wherein the asthma exacerbation is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a 30% or greater reduction from baseline in morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) on two consecutive days;

(b) six or more additional reliever puffs of albuterol or levalbuterol in a 24 hour period (compared to baseline) on two consecutive days; and

(c) a deterioration of asthma requiring:

(i) systemic (oral and/or parenteral) steroid treatment, or

(ii) an increase in inhaled corticosteroid to at least 4 times the last dose received prior to discontinuation, or

(iii) hospitalization.

134 . The method of claim 132 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises about 75 mg to about 600 mg of the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof.

135 . The method of claim 132 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is administered to the subject at a dosing frequency of once a week and/or the pharmaceutical composition administered to the subject systemically, subcutaneously, intravenously or intranasally.

136 . The method of claim 132 , wherein the improvement in an asthma-associated parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an increase from baseline of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) of at least 0.10 L;

(b) an increase from baseline of morning peak expiratory flow rate (AM PEF) of at least 10.0 L/min;

(c) an increase from baseline of evening peak expiratory flow rate (PM PEF) of at least 1.0 L/min;

(d) a decrease from baseline of daily albuterol/levalbuterol use of at least 1 inhalation/day;

(e) a decrease from baseline of five-item Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ5) score of at least 0.5 points;

(f) a decrease from baseline of nighttime awakenings (no. of times per night) measured daily of at least 0.2 times per night; and

(g) a decrease from baseline of 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) score of at least 5 points.

137 . The method of claim 132 , wherein a second therapeutic agent is administered to the subject before, after, or concurrent with the pharmaceutical composition.

138 . The method of claim 137 , wherein the second therapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of: a TNF inhibitor, an IL-1 inhibitor, an IL-5 inhibitor, an IL-8 inhibitor, an IgE inhibitor, a leukotriene inhibitor, a corticosteroid, a methylxanthine, an NSAID, nedocromil sodium, cromolyn sodium, a long-acting beta2 agonist and an anti-fungal agent or any combinations thereof.

139 . The method of claim 132 , wherein the subject has an elevated level of a biomarker selected from the group consisting of thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), IgE, eotaxin-3, periostin, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), YKL-40, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO).

140 . The method of claim 132 , wherein the subject exhibits a blood eosinophil level of at least 300 cells per microliter and/or a sputum eosinophil level of at least 3%.

141 . The method of claim 132 , wherein the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to IL-4R comprises a heavy chain variable region (HCVR) comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 162 and a light chain variable region (LCVR) comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 164.

142 . The method of claim 132 , wherein the antibody that specifically binds to IL-4R is dupilumb.

143 . A method of reducing or eliminating an eosinophilic asthma patient's dependence on inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and/or long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) for the treatment of one or more asthma exacerbations comprising:

(a) selecting a patient who has eosinophilic asthma that is partially controlled or uncontrolled with a background asthma therapy comprising an ICS, a LABA, or a combination thereof;

(b) administering to the patient a defined dose of an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to interleukin-4-receptor (IL-4R) at a defined frequency for an initial treatment period while maintaining the patient's background asthma therapy for the initial treatment period; and

(c) gradually reducing or eliminating the dosage of ICS and/or LABA administered to the patient over the course of a subsequent treatment period while continuing to administer the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof to the patient at the defined frequency and dose used during the initial treatment period.

144 . The method of claim 143 , wherein:

the ICS is fluticasone, budesonide, or mometasone;

the LABA is salmeterol or formoterol, and/or wherein the ICS/LABA combination is fluticasone/salmeterol, budesonide/formoterol, or mometasone/formoterol;

the dosage of LABA is eliminated at the end of the initial treatment period; and/or

the dosage of LABA and/or ICS is gradually reduced or eliminated over the course of 2 to 8 weeks;

wherein the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof comprises heavy chain and light chain complementarity determining region (CDR) sequences from a heavy chain variable region (HCVR)/light chain variable region (LCVR) sequence pair of SEQ ID NOs: 162/164, or wherein the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof comprises heavy chain complementarity determining region (HCDR) sequences of SEQ ID NOs:148, 150 and 152, and comprises light chain complementarity determining region (LCDR) sequences of SEQ ID NOs:156, 158 and 160.

145 . The method of claim 143 , wherein the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to IL-4R comprises an HCVR comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 162 and an LCVR comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 164.

146 . The method of claim 143 , wherein the antibody that specifically binds to IL-4R is dupilumb.

147 . The method of claim 143 , wherein the subject exhibits a blood eosinophil level of at least 300 cells per microliter and/or a sputum eosinophil level of at least 3%.

148 . A method for the treatment of eosinophilic asthma in a subject whose asthma is inadequately controlled with moderate-to-high dose inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and a second controller medication, comprising sequentially administering to the subject a single initial dose of a pharmaceutical composition comprising an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, wherein the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binds an interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R), and wherein administration of the single initial dose is followed by one or more secondary doses of the pharmaceutical composition comprising the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, wherein the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof comprises heavy chain and light chain complementarity determining region (CDR) sequences from a heavy chain variable region (HCVR)/light chain variable region (LCVR) sequence pair of SEQ ID NOs: 162/164, wherein the pharmaceutical composition is an add-on treatment.

149 . The method of claim 148 , wherein the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to IL-4R comprises an HCVR comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 162 and an LCVR comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 164.

150 . The method of claim 148 , wherein the antibody that specifically binds to IL-4R is dupilumb.

151 . The method of claim 148 , wherein:

a systemic corticosteroid is administered to the subject before, after, or concurrent with the pharmaceutical composition;

the initial dose and the secondary doses of the pharmaceutical composition each comprise the same amount of the antibody or antigen-binding fragment;

the initial dose comprises 600 mg of the antibody or antigen-binding fragment and each of the secondary doses comprises 300 mg of the antibody or antigen-binding fragment;

the initial dose and the secondary doses of the pharmaceutical composition are administered every two weeks; or

the initial dose and the secondary doses of the pharmaceutical composition are administered every four weeks.