Omalizumab effective for chronic spontaneous urticaria

(HealthDay)—Omalizumab is effective in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) symptoms and angioedema unresponsive to high doses of antihistamine treatment, according to a study published online March 24 in Allergy.

Petra Staubach, M.D., from Universität Mainz in Germany, and colleagues conducted a phase III, multicenter study in which 91 CSU patients with angioedema and wheals were randomized to omalizumab 300 mg or placebo (every four weeks up to week 24).

The researchers found that among the patients completing the 28-week treatment phase (omalizumab, 35; placebo, 33), omalizumab was superior to placebo in improving Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life scores at week 28. Angioedema-burdened days per week improved threefold with omalizumab (0.3) versus placebo (1.1). With omalizumab, the median time to first recurrence of angioedema was 57 to 63 days; with placebo it was less than five days. Omalizumab significantly improved angioedema-specific quality of life.

"Omalizumab was an effective treatment option for patients with moderate-to-severe CSU symptoms and angioedema unresponsive to high doses of antihistamine treatment," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis, which manufactures omalizumab and funded the study.