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What is asthma, and why research matters
In asthma, the airways are more sensitive than usual. Triggers like allergens, cold air, exercise, smoke, or a cold can make the airway lining swell, the surrounding muscles tighten, and mucus build up. That narrowing is what causes the wheeze and the struggle to breathe, and an asthma attack is when it happens suddenly and severely. Nearly 28 million Americans have asthma, including about 4.5 million children, and around 11 million had at least one attack in the past year. Asthma often travels with other allergic conditions: eczema, food allergies, and chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps, because the same type of immune inflammation drives all of them.
Research changed asthma care in two big ways. First, doctors learned that not all asthma is the same: about half of severe asthma is driven by a specific immune pattern called type 2, or eosinophilic, inflammation, which can be measured with a simple blood test. That discovery made biologics possible, medicines that block one inflammation signal. Seven are now approved, and the newest, depemokimab (Exdensur), approved in December 2025, needs only two injections a year. Second, research showed that using a rescue inhaler alone, with no anti inflammatory medicine, raises the risk of a serious attack, which rewrote the treatment guidelines. Still, about 2 million Americans have severe asthma, and half of them keep having attacks despite treatment. That gap is where current trials are aimed.
Types of asthma clinical trials
Biologic and new medicine trials. Mostly for severe asthma that stays uncontrolled despite inhalers. New biologics and pills are tested on top of standard treatment, and success is measured by fewer attacks over a year and better lung function. Because biologics work on specific inflammation types, these trials often require a blood test for eosinophils or another marker before you can join.
Acute attack trials. A newer area: testing whether a biologic given during an emergency visit for an asthma attack can shorten it or prevent the next one. These enroll people in the hospital or ER, so timing is everything.
Environment and home studies. Asthma is shaped by what you breathe at home. Trials test air cleaners, ventilation systems, and the effect of air quality near airports or highways, especially in children. These often require no medicine change at all.
Treatment strategy and primary care studies. Since most people get asthma care from a family doctor, not a specialist, studies test better ways to personalize treatment in primary care, including using genetic information to predict which inhaler will work.
Mechanism and imaging studies. These use blood samples, brain imaging, or lung scans to understand why severe asthma behaves the way it does. No treatment is promised, but they are where the next biologic targets come from.
What participating in an asthma trial involves
Asthma trials are usually built around measurements you may already know from clinic visits: breathing tests like spirometry, a diary of symptoms and rescue inhaler use, and sometimes a blood test for eosinophils. Participants receive close monitoring from the study team, and study related care is typically provided at no cost. Trials never take away your regular inhalers. All of this is explained in detail during informed consent, and you can leave a study at any time.
Considering volunteering in a clinical trial? Explore our comprehensive guide to learn more about why people choose to volunteer and the impact you can make in advancing medical research. Discover the process of volunteering, what to consider before applying and the potential benefits and risks involved.
Who can participate in asthma clinical trials?
Most asthma trials look at three things. Your asthma severity, usually judged by which inhalers you take and how many attacks needing steroids or an ER visit you have had in the past year. Your inflammation type, because biologic trials often need a blood eosinophil count above a set level, or another marker like exhaled nitric oxide. And your lung function on a breathing test. Some studies want mild to moderate asthma, others severe. Many home environment and primary care studies have wide doors and enroll children and adults with any asthma severity. Eligibility always varies by study.
Asthma severity levels, and why they matter for trials
Doctors describe asthma by how much treatment it takes to control it, using steps from 1 to 5. Steps 1 and 2 are mild: a low dose inhaled steroid, often combined with a reliever in one inhaler. Steps 3 and 4 are moderate: higher doses and a long acting bronchodilator added. Step 5 is severe: high dose inhalers are not enough, and a biologic or other add on is considered. About 5 to 10 percent of people with asthma fall in the severe group, and that is where most drug trials recruit. Mild and moderate asthma are not shut out: environment, primary care, and some new medicine studies are built for exactly those groups. Knowing your inhaler regimen and how many attacks you have had this year tells you at a glance which studies fit.
How to enroll in an asthma clinical trial
Enrolling in an asthma study through our platform takes about 5 minutes. Here is how it works:
Identify your trial. Use the search bar or filters to find asthma studies that match your situation. Titles usually say "severe," "moderate to severe," or "mild to moderate," and biologic trials often mention eosinophilic asthma, so you can tell quickly which ones fit.
Select your preferred location. Enter your city or state in the filter on the left. Biologic trials run at specialist clinics, while home environment studies come to you, so distance matters differently depending on the study.
Explore study details. Click "Learn More" on any study for its goals, procedures, and eligibility, including whether it requires a recent blood eosinophil count, how many attacks in the past year, and how often breathing tests are scheduled.
Complete the health profile. Click "Get started" to begin the 5-step application. Have three things ready: your current inhalers and any biologic you take, the number of asthma attacks needing steroids or an ER visit in the past year, and your most recent eosinophil count or lung function result if you have them. Those answers decide eligibility for most asthma studies.
Submit the application. A clinical trial coordinator reviews it and contacts you about whether you may qualify. Nothing is decided until you have gone through informed consent, and participation is voluntary at every step.