{blacktriangledown}Omalizumab for severe asthma?

doi:10.1136/dtb.2006.441186

Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin 2006;44:86-88; doi:10.1136/dtb.2006.441186

${blacktriangledown}$ Omalizumab for severe asthma?

Relevant BNF section: 3.4.2

Up to 5% of patients with asthma have severe disease^1,2 (i.e.around 250,000 people in the UK³). This means their asthma remainsuncontrolled despite optimal treatment with high-dose inhaledcorticosteroid plus additional therapy or a regular oral corticosteroid,⁴and with no other explanations such as poor adherence to therapyand other diagnoses such as vocal cord dysfunction. ${blacktriangledown}$ Omalizumab(pronounced oh-ma-liz-oo-mab) (Xolair - Novartis) is a monoclonalantibody to IgE that is available in the UK as add-on therapyfor people aged 12 years and over with severe persistent asthmathat has an important allergic component. What benefits, ifany, does omalizumab offer to such patients?