Asthma is one of most common diseases in the United States, affecting around 11 in 100 women. It’s a chronic (long-lasting) condition that causes swelling in your airway, making it hard to breathe.
Asthma can be controlled when it’s treated but may be deadly if it’s not. In 2023, asthma was linked to more than 3,700 deaths in the U.S.
While the disease affects people of all ages, genders and ethnicities, Black Americans are more likely to have asthma than people of other races — and three times more likely to die from the disease.
The good news? Many effective treatments for asthma exist, and researchers are always working on developing new and better ones.
Biologics are one type of medication that can help people with asthma manage their disease.
What are biologics?
A biologic is a medication made from a natural source. These sources include:
- Plant cells
- Animal cells
- Microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast
The fact that they’re made from living materials is what sets biologics apart from most drugs, which are made from chemicals.
To create a biologic, scientists grow specially designed living cells under very specific conditions, often for several weeks. After the cells are grown, scientists remove a protein from the cells that is purified and turned into a biologic.
Like all drugs, biologics need to be proven safe and effective before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will approve them.
In addition to treating asthma, biologics are used to help people with:
- Arthritis
- Breast, lung and colon cancers
- Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and other chronic bowel diseases
- Diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis
- Psoriasis and other chronic skin diseases
How do biologics treat asthma?
Many people with asthma use inhalers or pills to treat their symptoms. So how does an injectable or IV medicine work to treat a breathing issue?
Biologics for asthma work by stopping the molecules that cause your airway to swell when you’re exposed to certain triggers.
When a person with asthma is exposed to their personal triggers, molecules in the immune system work together to cause airway swelling.
Biologics attach themselves to these molecules, keeping them from causing the swelling that leads to asthma symptoms.
Who can take biologics for asthma?
If you have moderate-to-severe asthma and your asthma is still uncontrolled despite using routine asthma treatments like inhalers and pills, adding biologics to your treatment plan may help you better manage your disease.
Biologics may be an option for you if you:
- Have asthma symptoms more than twice a week
- Wake up at night with asthma symptoms more than twice a month
- Need your rescue inhaler more than twice a week
- Take oral corticosteroids to treat your symptoms more than once a year
- Can’t do normal activities because of your asthma symptoms
As of March 2026, seven biologics are approved by the FDA for treating asthma. Your clinician may prescribe one for you after going over your symptoms and current treatment plan.
What to expect when taking biologics
Biologics for asthma are given with a shot or IV. Depending on which biologic your clinician prescribes, you may be able to give yourself the medicine at home.
How often you take the biologic also depends on which one your clinician prescribes. Some are used every two weeks, while others are given every four or eight weeks.
Your healthcare team will go over potential side effects and what to watch for when using a biologic for asthma. They can also answer any questions you may have.
Benefits and risks of biologics
It can be scary when you’re already using traditional asthma medicines, but you’re still having asthma attacks and other symptoms. Biologics may offer relief.
When added to your current treatment plan, biologics may help ease asthma symptoms in a way more conventional medications can’t. And you don’t have to worry about remembering to take them every day for them to work.
The FDA wouldn’t approve biologics for asthma if they weren’t safe, but like all medicines, they may cause some side effects. Some of these are:
- Headaches
- Joint pain
- Rashes
- Sore throat
- Tiredness
Your clinician can give you more information about possible side effects of the specific biologic you’re considering.
What about insurance coverage?
Since coverage varies from plan to plan, you’ll need to contact your insurance provider to find out if they cover biologics for treating your asthma. Many plans cover at least part of the cost.
Biologics may be considered a “specialty treatment” by your insurance provider, meaning you may have to take certain steps to get them.
For example, your clinician may need to get pre-approval (sometimes called prior authorization) from your insurer before they will pay for a biologic. Or you may need to fill your prescription at a specialty pharmacy that focuses on this type of medicine.
You may be able to find cost and coverage information on the website of the company that makes your biologic. Some companies also offer patient assistance programs to help cover the cost of their medicines.
Taking control of your treatment
You don’t have to let uncontrolled asthma keep you from living your best life. Thanks to innovative medications like biologics, the power to feel better is in your hands.
This educational resource was created with support from GSK, Sanofi and Regeneron.
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