Asthma control and exacerbations in patients with severe asthma treated with omalizumab in Portugal

Publication date: Available online 16 April 2015 Source:Revista Portuguesa de Pneumologia (English Edition) Author(s): A.S. Sousa , A.M. Pereira , J.A. Fonseca , L.F. Azevedo , C. Abreu , A. Arrobas , T. Calvo , M.J. Silvestre , L. Cunha , H. Falcão , M. Drummond , L. Geraldes , C. Loureiro The analysis of outcomes from patients with severe asthma treated with omalizumab, using real-life prospective data, should contribute to future informed decisions about this treatment in Portugal. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical effect of omalizumab in Portuguese patients with severe persistent allergic asthma, considering specifically asthma control and exacerbations. This was an observational, prospective, multicentre study. Data were collected at routine care over a 12-month period. Disease control was defined by Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) global score >24. All asthma patients already under treatment with omalizumab in 7 departments from 6 Portuguese hospitals were included (n =48). Most (77%) patients were female and the mean (SD) age was 51.9 (10.2) years old. During the study period, asthma was controlled in 34% of the visits and the 12-month exacerbation rate was 1.7 per patient (0.6 with unscheduled medical care). One-third of the patients needed unscheduled medical care because of asthma and 29% had to start or increase oral corticosteroid. There was still a 41% reduction in the total sum of oral corticosteroids ...
Source: Revista Portuguesa de Pneumologia - Category: Respiratory Medicine Source Type: research