Effectiveness of omalizumab in patients 50 years and older with severe persistent allergic asthma.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Omalizumab is approved for the treatment of severe allergic asthma.

OBJECTIVES:

To compare the efficacy of omalizumab therapy in patients 50 years or older with patients younger than 50 years.

METHODS:

Between November 2005 and November 2007 a total of 174 asthma patients 50 years or older (40.7% male, 51.1% taking oral corticosteroids, and mean [SD] serum IgE level of 315 [353] U/L) and 297 asthma patients younger than 50 years (40.0% male, 50.5% taking oral corticosteroids, and mean [SD] serum IgE level of 363 [431] U/L) who met the European Union criteria for add-on therapy with anti-IgE were treated prospectively with omalizumab for 4 months as part of 2 postmarketing surveillance trials.

RESULTS:

Compared with the pretrial period omalizumab treatment reduced the rate of severe exacerbations in patients 50 years or older by 68.9% (P < .001) and in patients younger than 50 years by 75.4% (P < .001). After 4 months there was a marked reduction of daily asthma symptoms and nocturnal awakenings by 67.8% and 72.6% in the older and by 79.3% and 82.5% in the younger patients, respectively (P < .001, all 4 comparisons). In 60% of patients 50 years or older lung function improved compared with 69% of patients younger than 50 years. Efficacy of omalizumab was rated as excellent or good by most physicians in patients 50 years or older (68.4%) and younger than 50 years (76.8%, P = .05 elderly vs younger). Adverse events were reported in 35.5% of patients 50 years or older and 32.1% of patients younger than 50 years. There was a higher rate of discontinuation of omalizumab therapy in older patients (20.9% vs 11.1%, P = .006).

CONCLUSIONS:

The present study confirms the clinical efficacy of omalizumab in patients with severe allergic asthma irrespective of age in a real-life setting outside the omalizumab trial program.

• Authors: Stephanie Korn, Christian Schumann, Cornelia Kropf, Kathrin Stoiber, Antje Thielen, Christian Taube, Roland Buhl
• Journal: Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol) Vol. 105 Issue 4 Pg. 313-9 (Oct 2010) ISSN: 1081-1206 [Print] United States
• PMID: 20934632 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Anti-Asthmatic Agents
• Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic
• Antibodies, Monoclonal
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Omalizumab
• Immunoglobulin E

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Age Factors
• Aged
• Anti-Asthmatic Agents (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic
• Antibodies, Monoclonal (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Asthma (blood, drug therapy, epidemiology, immunology, physiopathology)
• Child
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Germany
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin E (blood)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Omalizumab
• Product Surveillance, Postmarketing
• Respiratory Function Tests