Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Benralizumab in Reducing Oral Corticosteroid Use in Adult Patients With Severe Asthma

This is an open-label, multicenter study designed to evaluate efficacy and safety of reducing
daily oral corticosteroid (OCS) use after initiation of 30 mg dose of benralizumab
administered subcutaneously (SC) in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma receiving
high-dose inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/long-acting β2 agonist (LABA) and OCS with or without
additional asthma controller(s).

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Peripheral blood eosinophil count of ≥150 cells/μL assessed by central lab at Visit 1
or ≥ 300 cells/μL in the past 12 months

2. History of physician diagnosed asthma requiring continuous treatment with high dose
ICS (high-dose ICS is the highest approved dose in a country) plus LABA for at least 6
months prior to Visit 1. The ICS and LABA can be contained within a combination
product or given by separate inhalers

3. Chronic oral corticosteroid therapy equivalent to a daily dose of at least 5 mg of
prednisone, for at least 3 continuous months directly preceding Visit 1.

4. Patient should be on a stable OCS dose for at least 4 weeks prior to Visit 1.

5. Non-smokers, current smokers or former smokers with a smoking history of <20
pack-years at Visit 1

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Clinically important pulmonary disease other than asthma or ever been diagnosed with
pulmonary or systemic disease, other than asthma, that are associated with elevated
peripheral eosinophil counts

2. Known history of allergy or reaction to the study drug formulation

3. History of anaphylaxis to any biologic therapy

4. A helminth parasitic infection diagnosed within 24 weeks prior to the date informed
consent is obtained that has not been treated with, or has failed to respond to,
standard of care therapy

5. Asthma exacerbation requiring use of systemic corticosteroids, or an increase in
maintenance dose of OCS, or acute upper/lower respiratory infections requiring
antibiotics or antiviral medication within 30 days prior to Visit 2 (first
benralizumab dose)

6. A history of known immunodeficiency disorder including a positive human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test

7. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level ≥3 times the
upper limit of normal (ULN) confirmed at Visit 1.

8. Receipt of immunoglobulin or blood products within 30 days prior to the date informed
consent is obtained

9. Coincident primary adrenal failure (Addison's disease) or irreversible secondary
hypoadrenalism due to another independent cause (e.g. pituitary tumour or its
treatment)

10. Co-existent inflammatory conditions for which chronic OCS doses are part of their
maintenance treatment such as Giant Cell Arteritis, Polymyalgia Rheumatica

11. Exclusion from genetic research may be for any of the exclusion criteria specified in
the main study or allogeneic bone marrow transplant, Non-leukocyte depleted whole
blood transfusion within 120 days of genetic sample collection