Zierau L, et al. – In a retrospective real–life study, the researchers intended to explore the response to omalizumab in patients with severe allergic asthma. They suggested that female gender and an eosinophil count above 300 cells/μL might predict a better treatment response, leading to a shorter treatment time than the current guideline recommendation of maximum 48 months. It was noted that the GETE score (Global Evaluation of Treatment Effectiveness) improves with omalizumab.

Methods

• For the purpose of this study, fifty four patients treated with omalizumab at a specialized outpatient asthma clinic were incorporated.
• Change in GETE score, time to discontinuation of treatment and related risk factors were investigated.

Results

• Most patients improved in GETE score from poor/worsening to excellent as a result of omalizumab treatment.
• It was observed in the findings that women were treated for a median time of 31 months (95% CI: 4.6–57.4) and approximately half of patients discontinued treatment after five hundred days whilst, for men, 50% discontinued treatment after 1500 days.
• It was noted that eosinophil count above 300 cells/μL at treatment initiation was positively related to the discontinuation of omalizumab (HR 4.3 95%CI (1.22–15.28) p = 0.023).