Groundbreaking long-acting drugs are poised to significantly improve the lives of countless Britons suffering from a chronic condition characterized by a persistently runny nose and loss of smell.

These treatments, known as biologics, function by deactivating the immune response responsible for inflammation and are nearing broader availability for patients battling severe chronic rhinosinusitis.

Recently, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) approved two drugs, depemokimab and tezepelumab, allowing for their purchase privately.

Meanwhile, the drug dupilumab is currently under review by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for potential inclusion in NHS treatments, with tezepelumab set for evaluation in January.

All these medications have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing nasal polyps and alleviating symptoms, while also decreasing the reliance on steroid tablets and the frequency of surgical interventions.

This development comes as the NHS faces heightened strain from the ‘super flu’ virus and the seasonal increase in colds. For individuals whose nasal issues persist for extended periods, the impact is particularly severe.

A streaming nose is one of the main symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis, an inflammatory condition impacting the nose and sinuses, which affects around 11 per cent of adults in the UK For most, it is triggered by an infection that leads to lingering inflammation, and can be treated with steroid nasal sprays or tablets.

But for tens of thousands with the most serious form of the condition, the cause remains largely unknown.

Two drugs, depemokimab and tezepelumab, have been approved this month by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority and has been proven to reduce nasal growths (file photo)

A streaming nose is one of the main symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis, an inflammatory condition impacting the nose and sinuses, which affects around 11 per cent of adults in the UK (file photo)

 A long-term immune system reaction causes extreme inflammation in the nose, leading not only to constant dripping but to soft tissue growths known as nasal polyps.

These swellings can block the olfactory nerves that carry scent signals to the brain, causing partial or total loss of smell and taste.

Known as chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, or CRSwNP, the condition can have a devastating impact. Alongside loss of smell and taste, as well as a dripping nose, symptoms include facial pressure, sleep problems and post-nasal drip – where mucus runs down the back of the throat.

Experts and charities say the condition has long been overlooked, with few treatments available.

Patients are generally given steroid nasal sprays, antihistamines and steroid tablets to shrink the polyps, and are offered surgery to remove them if this does not work. For many, however, both the polyps and symptoms return.

Steroid tablets can provide relief, but long-term use is linked to weakened bones, weight gain and cardiovascular problems. 

Around 50 per cent of patients do not respond to steroids and require an operation, known as functional endoscopic sinus surgery, which involves opening the sinus cavity to remove the polyps and their roots. 

But the new biologic therapies target specific parts of the immune system involved in driving the inflammation and calm the response. All are given by injection – once every six months in the case of depemokimab, and once a month for the others.

Professor Rami Salib, a rhinologist at University Hospital Southampton, says there is growing evidence from trials and real-world use that the drugs can improve symptoms, restore smell and reduce the need for repeated surgery.

‘They could enable us to take patients off steroids,’ he says Duncan Boak, of the charity SmellTaste, says there is an urgent need for new treatments, particularly for those whose polyps keep returning.

‘People have multiple operations over the years to no avail and it has a huge impact on their quality of life,’ he adds.

For Lee Dovey, a 42-year-old IT engineer from Dudley, West Midlands, who has lived with CRSwNP for four years, the condition has been ‘horrendous’. Having refused surgery over fears it would not make a lasting impact, he says: ‘Any new treatments would be welcome.’