Is Bronchial Thermoplasty a cure for asthma?
Dr. Castro: This is not a cure for asthma. This is a treatment that we believe benefits those patients with severe asthma uncontrolled with current medications. The reason bronchial thermoplasty is not a cure is that asthma is not just a problem of the smooth muscle – it’s also a problem of inflammation in your windpipes and the allergies that are contributing to that. We can only treat the smooth muscle part with Bronchial Thermoplasty. The symptoms that are related to that will be improved, but we can’t cure it all together. When will this treatment be available? Dr. Castro: The FDA is currently reviewing all the material that’s been done, including a large study of bronchial thermoplasty (AIR2) that was just completed. The hope is that the FDA will have completed their review of it and have made a decision by the end of the years, so that we can offer this new promising therapy to our patients with severe asthma by early next year. END OF INTERVIEW This information is intended for a
