Omalizumab May Prevent Allergic Responses Earlier Than Previously Thought

Omalizumab may provide protective effects in patients with severe allergic asthma sooner than expected, according to a recent study.

Previous research has shown that omalizumab demonstrates effects after 8 weeks of treatment. However, its whether it is effective before 8 weeks is less well determined.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RELATED CONTENT
Probiotics Could Benefit Quality of Life in Patients with Seasonal Allergies
FDA: New Treatment for House Dust Mite Allergies
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In their study, researchers included 10 participants (IgE >300 IU/mL and <700 IU/mL) who experienced significant response to an allergen challenge. The participants were treated with omalizumab, then exposed to bronchial allergen provocation at week 1, 2, 4, and 8.

Overall, early allergic reaction (EAR) was significantly reduced after 4 weeks of treatment (ΔFEV1 28 vs. 11%; p<0.001). Exhaled nitric oxide (86 vs. 53ppb; p<0.05) and basophil activation were reduced after 2 weeks (CD63 expression 79 vs. 32%, p<0.05), and late allergic reaction (LAR) was reduced at 1 week (ΔFEV1 26 vs. 13%, p<0.05).

“These results demonstrate the onset of protective effects earlier than previously determined, potentially improving seasonal utilization and combination with immunotherapy,” the researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Trischler J, Lieb A, Arnold M, et al. Omalizumab effectively protects against early- and late allergic responses in asthma after 4 weeks [published online June 5, 2017]. doi: 10.1111/all.13217.