RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The APEX study: A retrospective review of responses of severe allergic asthma patients to omalizumab on continuous or non-continuous oral corticosteroids in UK clinical practice
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP p272
VO 38
IS Suppl 55
A1 Robert Niven
A1 Amr Radwan
YR 2011
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p272.abstract
AB Omalizumab is an effective add-on option for patients with severe allergic asthma (who remain uncontrolled despite inhaled corticosteroid therapy), many of whom are receiving oral corticosteroids (OCS). We retrospectively reviewed records from 12 months pre- and post-omalizumab initiation in patients (age ≥12 years) with severe persistent allergic asthma who were or were not receiving continuous OCS. Percentages of patients reducing/stopping OCS use, changes in exacerbation rates, hospitalization and accident/emergency visit rates, overall responder rates and FEV1 all improved post-omalizumab (table).View this table:Responses were similar when comparing those who were and those who were not on continuous OCS at baseline. In conclusion, the benefits of omalizumab in patients not receiving continuous OCS at baseline were at least as great as those in patients receiving continuous OCS at baseline.