Real-world data affirms safety, efficacy of omalizumab in severe allergic asthma

Use of omalizumab for treating patients with severe allergic asthma in a real-world setting yields a steroid-sparing effect and helps minimize the occurrence of both clinically significant and severe asthma attacks, as reported in a study.

The study included 139 patients (mean age 47.4 years, median asthma duration 7 years) with severe allergic asthma who were treated with the humanized monoclonal anti-immunoglobulin E antibody omalizumab in China. Of these, 131 patients remained on treatment at the ≥12-week time point and 118 at the ≥16-week time point.

Researchers collected data on demographics, Asthma Control Test (ACT), and laboratory and lung function test results.

Majority of the patients (75.6 percent) had a history of allergic disease. The primary endpoint of a reduction in the use of inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2 agonists or oral corticosteroids was documented in 61.1 percent of patients at ≥12 weeks and 63.6 percent at ≥16 weeks.

Furthermore, there were meaningful improvements seen in ACT scores (6.08; p<0.001) and nitric oxide fraction in exhaled air (−13.0; p=0.01) throughout the study.

On multivariate analysis, omalizumab treatment response was associated with certain clinical features or biomarkers, including age, eosinophil percentage, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, allergic comorbidities, and allergic medical history.

There were no serious adverse events documented.