Up to 5% of patients with asthma have severe disease (i.e., around 250,000 people in the U.K.). This means their asthma remains uncontrolled despite optimal treatment with high-dose inhaled corticosteroid plus additional therapy or a regularoral corticosteroid, and with no otherexplanations such as poor adherenceto therapy and otherdiagnoses such as vocal cord dysfunction. Omalizumab (pronounced oh-ma-liz-oo-mab) (Xolair-Novartis) is a monoclonal antibody to IgE that is available in the U.K. as add-on therapy for people aged 12 years and over with severe persistent asthma that has an important allergic component. What benefits, if any, does omalizumab offer to such patients?
