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Therapy with omalizumab for patients with severe allergic asthma improves asthma control and reduces overall healthcare costs

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Abstract

Background

Patients with asthma who have persistent symptoms despite treatment with inhaled steroids and long-acting beta agonists are considered to have severe asthma. Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against IgE, which is used as an add-on treatment for patients who have severe persistent allergic asthma.

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess the clinical benefit and healthcare utilisation of patients who responded to omalizumab therapy and to establish an overall cost implication.

Methods

This was an observational retrospective cohort study designed to investigate the effect of omalizumab on exacerbations of asthma before and after 6 months of treatment in Irish patients.

Results

Centres who had treated patients with severe allergic asthma for the 6 months prior and post omalizumab treatment were audited with a standardised assessment tool. Sixty-three (32 male) patients were studied. In the 6 months prior to omalizumab 41 of 63 (66%) had been hospitalised, and this fell to 15 of 63 (24%), p < 0.0001 in the 6 months after treatment was started. Hospital admissions reduced from 2.4 ± 0.41 to 0.8 ± 0.37 and the mean number of bed days occupied was reduced from 16.6 ± 2.94 to 5.3 ± 2.57 days, p < 0.001. The number of oral corticosteroid doses used fell from 3.1 ± 0.27 to 1.2 ± 0.17, p < 0.001. The overall cost saving per omalizumab responder patients for 6 months was €834.

Conclusions

Six months therapy with omalizumab reduced the number of bed days, the number of hospitalisations and the use of oral corticosteroids compared to the 6 months prior to commencement. Despite the cost of the additional therapy there were overall savings in health costs.

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Acknowledgments

A non-promotional grant was provided by Novartis Pharmaceuticals for funding for the independent monitoring company Quintiles to perform the data acquisition on behalf of the authors. The authors also acknowledge the support of Helen Finnerty, Quintiles, O’Callaghan J., Nulty F., Connelly L., Hallahan P., O’Driscoll M F., Joyce R., Frawley T., Ruairi Herraghty, Gilles Ducorroy and Sandra Quinn of Novartis Pharmaceuticals for assistance in the study and to Professor Tom Pearce Midwestern Regional Hospital.

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Correspondence to R. W. Costello.

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Costello, R.W., Long, D.A., Gaine, S. et al. Therapy with omalizumab for patients with severe allergic asthma improves asthma control and reduces overall healthcare costs. Ir J Med Sci 180, 637–641 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-011-0716-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-011-0716-2

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