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Diagnosis & Specialist Care of Allergy & Clinical Immunology - Since 1982
Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria and the Need for Anti-IgE Therapy
Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), with or without spontaneous angioedema, is a condition that can severely impact quality of life. It is believed to affect 0.5–1% of the global population at any given time. For many patients, antihistamines effectively manage their symptoms. However, a significant number of people with CSU do not respond to antihistamines, leaving them in search of alternative treatments.
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For these patients, anti-IgE therapy represents the next stage of treatment. This approach specifically targets IgE, the key mediator in the allergic response, which is responsible for triggering the release of histamine, which in turn leads to a cascade effect resulting in the red, itchy wheals of an urticarial rash.
Omalizumab, commonly known by its brand name Xolair, is a leading anti-IgE therapy that works to block circulating IgE from binding to mast cells. This prevents the release of histamine, effectively reducing allergic symptoms.
Omalizumab: Approved and Effective
Omalizumab has been approved in the UK for patients as young as six years old with severe, persistent allergic asthma that remains uncontrolled by oral or injectable corticosteroids. It has also been approved for use in patients over 12 years of age with chronic spontaneous urticaria, where antihistamines alone are insufficient.
The drug was first approved by the FDA in the United States in 2003, followed by approval from the European Medicines Agency in 2005. Since then, it has been widely recognised as a safe and effective treatment.
Safety and Administration of Omalizumab
Clinical trials have shown that Omalizumab is generally well-tolerated, with no significant increase in the overall incidence or severity of adverse events compared to the placebo (Kaplan et al 2013). The treatment has proven particularly effective in reducing the signs and symptoms of chronic spontaneous urticaria in patients who have not found relief with antihistamines.
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Omalizumab is administered as an injectable treatment once every four weeks over a six-month course. Each monthly dose is divided into two syringes, with two injections made one after the other into the abdomen. The first three doses are administered in the clinic by your doctor and, if all goes well, the remaining three doses can be self-administered at home.
Expert Care at the London Allergy Clinic
with Dr Gururaj Arumugakani
Our doctors are experts in their field, and when it comes to Omalizumab therapy, there is none better to consult than Dr Gururaj Arumugakani who was actively involved in the initial trials of Omalizumab for urticaria and played a pioneering role in the development of urticaria home therapy.
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