ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Omalizumab has been successfully established as add-on therapy to improve asthma control in adults and children aged 6 years and older with uncontrolled severe persistent allergic asthma (GINA 2009 step 5). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 15 patients between 12 and 20 years of age with severe allergic asthma, which was inadequately controlled despite intensive antiasthmatic therapy according to NVL step 4 /5, received treatment with omalizumab for 6 - 69 months. After 12 months of treatment the effect was evaluated by means of objective parameters. RESULTS: Significant improvements were found for the asthma-exacerbation rate and emergency treatment as well as for most of the lung function parameters. Systemic steroids could be discontinued in 10 of 11 patients. Asthma control has improved in all patients according to the ACT. Omalizumab was well tolerated by 13 patients. Adverse effects occurred in two patients in the first two and after 5 months, respectively. Only in one of them omalizumab had to be discontinued after 6 months due to the development of serum disease. CONCLUSIONS: Omalizumab can be considered a valuable add-on therapy in adolescent patients with severe allergic asthma that is inadequately controlled despite GINA step 5 treatment. A significant effect on clinical and functional parameters was shown over 12 months.
