TOPLINE:

Dupilumab yielded sustained reductions in nasal polyp burden and improvements in smell function and quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Nearly 40% of patients successfully extended dosing intervals beyond the standard 2-week schedule and had significantly better clinical outcomes.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers assessed 224 adults with CRSwNP (median age, 48 years; 57% men) to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of dupilumab in both standard and extended dosing intervals (2019-2025).
• They used the total polyp score to measure nasal polyp burden, the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22) score to measure disease-specific QOL, the Sniffin' Sticks 16 Identification Test score to measure smell function, and the Asthma QOL Questionnaire (AQLQ) to assess asthma-related QOL.
• Clinical outcomes were compared between patients who maintained the standard 2-week dosing and those who voluntarily extended dosing intervals (> 2 weeks) after achieving stable disease control.

TAKEAWAY:

• The total polyp score decreased by 1.67 points at 3 months and by 2.54 points at 6 months, with minimal change thereafter (averaging approximately 0.01 points per 100 days); SNOT-22 scores declined by 17.81 points at 3 months and by 26.76 points at 6 months.
• Sniffin' Sticks scores increased by 1.79 points at 3 months and by 2.82 points at 6 months before plateauing; AQLQ scores improved by 8.43 points at 3 months and by 12.90 points at 6 months.
• Overall, 40.1% of patients extended their dosing intervals after achieving disease control: 46% of them extended the interval to a 3-week interval, 39% to a 4-week interval, and 15% beyond 4 weeks, without loss of efficacy.
• Adverse events were reported in 16% of patients, with 48% of events classified as mild, 38% as moderate, and 13% as severe; only two patients (0.9%) discontinued therapy due to adverse events.

IN PRACTICE:

"Stratified treatment approaches based on baseline patient characteristics may help optimize outcomes and identify those most suitable for dupilumab therapy and potential interval extension," the authors of the study wrote. 

SOURCE:

Julia Eckl-Dorna, with the General Hospital and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, was the corresponding author of the study, which was published online on March 2, 2026, in the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology.

LIMITATIONS:

This study was limited by its retrospective, single-center design and nonrandomized comparison of dosing intervals. Follow-up beyond 4 years included few patients, so long-term model estimates may have been affected by attrition and responder bias.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by grants from the Austrian Science Fund. Two authors reported serving as speakers, consultants, investigators, and/or advisory board members for Sanofi, AstraZeneca, and GSK, and both reported being investigators for these companies (grants paid to their institutions).

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.