A research network formed by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore’s (NTU Singapore) Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Changi General Hospital (CGH), Singapore General Hospital (SGH), and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has set up the Singapore Severe Asthma Registry (SSAR), the first of its kind in the country.

This national registry also joins the International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR), making it the largest international research collaboration in the history of respiratory medicine in Singapore.

The SSAR is the first multi-centre, large-scale registry of severe asthma patients in Singapore. It aims to improve understanding of severe asthma, collect evidence of treatment effectiveness and safety, and identify predictors of treatment success.

The registry will be managed by The Academic Respiratory Initiative for Pulmonary Health (TARIPH), a research network spearheaded by NTU's LKCMedicine.

Co-Chair of TARIPH and LKCMedicine Assistant Dean (Faculty Affairs) Associate Professor Sanjay H. Chotirmall, Provost’s Chair in Molecular Medicine, said: “Severe asthma affects one in 20 individuals with asthma. This group of patients experience higher treatment burden and differing clinical trajectories, necessitating us to evaluate if and how Asian patients may be different and whether there are better ways to manage and treat this important condition.”