Patient description: A 39-year-old man came to the clinic with cough and shortness of breath that was not relieved by his inhaler. He had these symptoms for 5 days during the past 2 weeks. He doubled his oral corticosteroids in the past week. He is a chef with a history of asthma for 3 years, suffering from frequent cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath and chest tightness. The symptoms become more bothersome within 1-2 hours of starting work every day and worsen throughout the work week. His symptoms improve within 1-2 hours outside the workplace. Spirometry was performed revealing a forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) of 63% of the predicted. His past medical history is significant for seasonal allergic rhinitis in the summer. He doesn't smoke or use illicit drugs. His family history is significant for asthma in his father and sister. He currently uses inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and fluticasone 500 mcg/salmeterol 50 mcg, one puff twice daily.

Clinical trial eligibility criteria: eligible ages (years): 18.0-65.0,  Asthma Man or woman 18 to 65 years of age of any race Has mild, stable, allergic asthma as defined by American Thoracic Society criteria Has history of episodic wheezing and shortness of breath Has Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1) of at least 70% of predicted at Screening and within 10% of preallergen screening value at both baselines Has positive methacholine challenge at Screening. Methacholine challenges are considered positive if decreases of at least 20% in the FEV1 occur at a concentration of less than or equal to 16 mg/mL Baseline methacholine PC20 (concentration that initiated a 20% fall in FEV1) must be within 1 doubling concentration of the preallergen screening PC20 to enter treatment Has positive skin-prick test to common allergens (cat, dust mite, grass, pollen) Has a positive Early Asthmatic Response of >=20% fall in FEV1 measured from the FEV1 immediately prior to challenge, and Late Asthmatic Response of >=15% fall in FEV1 from the FEV1 measured immediately prior to challenge during Screening period Has been free from asthma exacerbation for at least 4 weeks before Screening. An exacerbation is defined as an occurrence of any clinical deterioration of asthma that requires emergency treatment, hospitalization due to asthma, or treatment with additional medication, as judged by the clinical investigator Has been free from relevant seasonal allergen exposure for at least 4 weeks before the study and be able to remain so for the duration of the study  Has had a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or any other clinically relevant lung disease (eg, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, bronchiectasis) other than mild allergic asthma, or has a history of having been intubated Has had a worsening of a respiratory tract infection within 4 weeks before Screening Has had any clinically significant abnormality; history of clinically significant hypotensive episodes of fainting, dizziness, or lightheadedness; history or symptoms of cardiovascular disease; significant neurologic disease; or hematologic abnormality, including coagulopathy; or has a medication regimen or clinically relevant medical condition other than asthma that may interfere with the effect of study medication Had a peripheral blood neutrophil (PBN) count of <3 × 10^9/L at the Screening Visit Has an allergy/sensitivity to the study drug or its excipients Is pregnant, breast-feeding, or intends to become pregnant during the study Has used any investigational drug within 30 days or 5 half-lives of Screening Is presently participating in any other clinical study Is part of the staff personnel directly involved with this study Is a family member of the investigational study staff