Journal: |
The Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis
The Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis
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Abstract: |
Background
anti-IgE (Omalizumab) is one of the targeted therapies for severe bronchial asthma.
Its real-life safety is still under scrutiny.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the persistent efficacy and safety of
Omalizumab as a long-term treatment of severe bronchial asthma.
Patients and methods
A prospective cohort study was conducted on 74 patients who had severe bronchial
asthma eligible for Omalizumab subcutaneous treatment with a long-term regular
follow-up to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of Omalizumab.
Results
This study was conducted on 74 patients who had severe bronchial asthma:
33 patients (44.6%) were males with a mean±SD (37.2 ± 4), and 41 females
(55.4%) with a mean±SD (35.9 ± 6). Those patients were eligible for Omalizumab
treatment with a long-term regular follow-up (from 7 to 10 years) to assess
the long-term safety of Omalizumab. Omalizumab treatment has a significant
improvement in the clinical condition of severe bronchial asthma as it decreased
the number of patients who used oral steroids from 63 patients (before
starting treatment) to 6 patients after 6 months of treatment, and 2 patients
after 12 months of the dose. The use of tiotropium bromide had a significant
decrease because the number of patients fell from 61 patients (before the start
of treatment) to 13 patients after 6 months. It also reduced the number of acute
exacerbations of bronchial asthma from 7 times per year (before the start of
treatment) to 3 times after 6 months, and 2 times after 12 months of treatment.
Patients’ pulmonary functions (FEV1, FEV1/ FVC, PEFR) improved significantly
from (43.7 ± 9, 52.3 ± 11, 51.1 ± 4) before starting Omalizumab treatment
to (64.1 ± 11,71.3 ± 13, 68.2 ± 7) after 6 months of usage; and to (69.4 ± 12,
73.3 ± 14, 72.1 ± 6) after 12 months of treatment. Long-term use of Omalizumab
has less severe side effects as 70% of patients had injection site reactions in
the form of local tenderness and swelling, 24.3% had a headache, 12% had
nausea, 9.4% had myalgia, and 17.5% had a fever while the serious side effects
as cancer, anaphylaxis or myocardial infarction has not recorded. All the side
effects occurred in the first year of treatment.
Conclusion
Long term use of Omalizumab in severe bronchial asthma management has
persistent efficacy and no serious side effects such as cancer, myocardial infarction
or anaphylaxis and has only minimal side effects that occurred mostly in the first
year of Omalizumab treatment, meaning that the physician cannot stop giving
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