title: "Real-life" effectiveness of omalizumab in patients with severe persistent allergic asthma: The PERSIST study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the 16- and 52-week effectiveness of add-on omalizumab treatment under real-life heterogeneity in patients, settings, and physicians in an open-label, multicenter, pharmaco-epidemiologic study of patients with severe persistent allergic asthma in Belgium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Effectiveness outcomes included improvement in 2005 global initiative for asthma (GINA) classification, physician-rated global evaluation of treatment effectiveness (GETE), quality of life (Juniper asthma-related quality of life (AQLQ) and European quality of life questionnaire 5 dimensions (EQ-5D)), and severe asthma exacerbations. Patients studied included both intent-to-treat and per-protocol populations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample (n=158) had a mean age of 48.17+/-17.18 years, and a slight majority were female (53.8%). Despite being treated with high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta2-agonists, all patients experienced frequent symptoms and had exacerbations in the past year. At 16 weeks, >82% had good/excellent GETE (P values <0.001), >82% had an improvement in total AQLQ scores of > or =0.5 points (P<0.001), and >91% were severe exacerbation-free (P<0.001). At 52 weeks, >72% had a good/excellent GETE rating (P<0.001), >84% had improvements in total AQLQ score of > or =0.5 points (P<0.001), >56% had minimally important improvements in EQ-5D utility scores (P=0.012), and >65% were severe exacerbation-free (P<0.001). Significant reductions in healthcare utilization compared to the one year prior to treatment were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PERSIST study shows better physician-rated effectiveness, greater improvements in quality of life, greater reductions in exacerbation rates, and greater reductions in healthcare utilization than previously reported in efficacy studies. Under real-life conditions, omalizumab is effective as add-on therapy in the treatment of patients with persistent severe allergic asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital and Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brusselle
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michils
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dupont
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van de Maele
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delobbe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pilette
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gurdain
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vancayzeele
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lecomte
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hermans
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abraham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001530:Belgium; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069444:Omalizumab; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000069444:Omalizumab