Long-term omalizumab treatment in severe allergic asthma: the South-Eastern Mediterranean "real-life" experience

Omalizumab is a recombinant humanized anti-IgE monoclonal antibody indicated as an add-on treatment for severe allergic asthma, inadequately controlled despite high dose of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting b2-agonists.

Medical registries were used to evaluate the 4 months, 1 and 4 years effectiveness of omalizumab treatment, in a non-interventional, observational "real-life" study.

Sixty patients with severe persistent allergic asthma from 5 South-Eastern Mediterranean centres from Crete and Cyprus were evaluated. Effectiveness outcomes included spirometry, severe asthma exacerbations rate, level of asthma control (ACT), and additional asthma medication (inhaled steroids).

Outcome variables improved after 4 months and sustained after 1 and 4 years treatment with Omalizumab. FEV1 improved statistically significant at all time points versus baseline [ΔFEV1 (% pred.) = +21 p = 0.008 at 4 months, ΔFEV1 (% pred.) = +24.5 p < 0.0001 at 4 years after treatment]. Similarly, FVC increased statistically significant versus baseline [ΔFVC (% pred.) = +20 p = 0.002 at 4 months, ΔFVC (% pred.) = +22.6 p = 0.0002 at 4 years]. The level of asthma control as evaluated by ACT was significantly improved after treatment (+12% p = 0.001 at 4 months, +24% p < 0.0001 at 4 years). Omalizumab treatment reduced significantly asthma exacerbations rate (-65% p = 0.0002 at 1 year, and -70% p < 0.0001 at 4 years). The use of inhaled steroids decreased statistically significant after 4 months (p = 0.017), 1 year (p = 0.029) and 4 years (p = 0.014) of omalizumab treatment.

This long-term "real-life" study demonstrated significant improvement in lung function and other clinical outcomes after omalizumab treatment, evident at 4 months, and sustained after 1 and 4 years suggesting its efficacy in severe allergic asthma, in the "real-life" practice.