Therapy with omalizumab for patients with severe allergic asthma improves asthma control and reduces overall healthcare costs.
dc.contributor.author | Costello, R W | |
dc.contributor.author | Long, D A | |
dc.contributor.author | Gaine, S | |
dc.contributor.author | Mc Donnell, T | |
dc.contributor.author | Gilmartin, J J | |
dc.contributor.author | Lane, S J | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2012-02-01T09:59:02Z | |
dc.date.available | 2012-02-01T09:59:02Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2012-02-01T09:59:02Z | |
dc.identifier.citation | Ir J Med Sci. 2011 Sep;180(3):637-41. Epub 2011 May 11. | en_GB |
dc.identifier.issn | 1863-4362 (Electronic) | en_GB |
dc.identifier.issn | 0021-1265 (Linking) | en_GB |
dc.identifier.pmid | 21557095 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1007/s11845-011-0716-2 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10147/207092 | |
dc.description.abstract | BACKGROUND: Patients with asthma who have persistent symptoms despite treatment with inhaled steroids and long-acting beta agonists are considered to have severe asthma. Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against IgE, which is used as an add-on treatment for patients who have severe persistent allergic asthma. AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical benefit and healthcare utilisation of patients who responded to omalizumab therapy and to establish an overall cost implication. METHODS: This was an observational retrospective cohort study designed to investigate the effect of omalizumab on exacerbations of asthma before and after 6 months of treatment in Irish patients. RESULTS: Centres who had treated patients with severe allergic asthma for the 6 months prior and post omalizumab treatment were audited with a standardised assessment tool. Sixty-three (32 male) patients were studied. In the 6 months prior to omalizumab 41 of 63 (66%) had been hospitalised, and this fell to 15 of 63 (24%), p < 0.0001 in the 6 months after treatment was started. Hospital admissions reduced from 2.4 +/- 0.41 to 0.8 +/- 0.37 and the mean number of bed days occupied was reduced from 16.6 +/- 2.94 to 5.3 +/- 2.57 days, p < 0.001. The number of oral corticosteroid doses used fell from 3.1 +/- 0.27 to 1.2 +/- 0.17, p < 0.001. The overall cost saving per omalizumab responder patients for 6 months was 834. CONCLUSIONS: Six months therapy with omalizumab reduced the number of bed days, the number of hospitalisations and the use of oral corticosteroids compared to the 6 months prior to commencement. Despite the cost of the additional therapy there were overall savings in health costs. | |
dc.language.iso | eng | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Adult | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Aged | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Anti-Asthmatic Agents/*therapeutic use | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic/*therapeutic use | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/*therapeutic use | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Asthma/drug therapy/economics/*prevention & control | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Disease Progression | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Female | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Humans | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Length of Stay | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Male | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Middle Aged | en_GB |
dc.subject.mesh | Respiratory Function Tests | en_GB |
dc.title | Therapy with omalizumab for patients with severe allergic asthma improves asthma control and reduces overall healthcare costs. | en_GB |
dc.contributor.department | Departments of Respiratory, Medicine Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland., rcostello@rcsi.ie | en_GB |
dc.identifier.journal | Irish journal of medical science | en_GB |
dc.description.province | Leinster | |
html.description.abstract | BACKGROUND: Patients with asthma who have persistent symptoms despite treatment with inhaled steroids and long-acting beta agonists are considered to have severe asthma. Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against IgE, which is used as an add-on treatment for patients who have severe persistent allergic asthma. AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical benefit and healthcare utilisation of patients who responded to omalizumab therapy and to establish an overall cost implication. METHODS: This was an observational retrospective cohort study designed to investigate the effect of omalizumab on exacerbations of asthma before and after 6 months of treatment in Irish patients. RESULTS: Centres who had treated patients with severe allergic asthma for the 6 months prior and post omalizumab treatment were audited with a standardised assessment tool. Sixty-three (32 male) patients were studied. In the 6 months prior to omalizumab 41 of 63 (66%) had been hospitalised, and this fell to 15 of 63 (24%), p < 0.0001 in the 6 months after treatment was started. Hospital admissions reduced from 2.4 +/- 0.41 to 0.8 +/- 0.37 and the mean number of bed days occupied was reduced from 16.6 +/- 2.94 to 5.3 +/- 2.57 days, p < 0.001. The number of oral corticosteroid doses used fell from 3.1 +/- 0.27 to 1.2 +/- 0.17, p < 0.001. The overall cost saving per omalizumab responder patients for 6 months was <euro>834. CONCLUSIONS: Six months therapy with omalizumab reduced the number of bed days, the number of hospitalisations and the use of oral corticosteroids compared to the 6 months prior to commencement. Despite the cost of the additional therapy there were overall savings in health costs. |