Omalizumab therapy in three patients with chronic autoimmune urticaria

Chronic urticaria is a common skin disease. In about 45% of patients the cause is an autoantibody directed at the α-subunit of the high-affinity IgE receptor (chronic autoimmune urticaria; CAU). Omalizumab is a monoclonal anti-IgE antibody that has a proven role in the treatment of various allergic diseases. We gave omalizumab once every month for 16 weeks to three patients that were refractory to standard treatment, including high doses of antihistamines, leukotriene receptor antagonist, and corticosteroid. There was dramatic improvement in the primary efficacy variable--the change in mean urticaria activity score (UAS) from baseline (i.e., the average over the first 4-week period before omalizumab) to the final 4-week period of omalizumab treatment. There was improvement in the secondary efficacy variables, which included change from baseline in interference with sleep, interference with daily activities, daily diary record of urticaria signs and symptoms based on a scoring system, and rescue medication use. These improvements persisted for 12 weeks after discontinuation of the drug. Omalizumab may have a role in treating refractory cases of CAU.