New asthma therapy approach.

Australian Doctor,  May, 2006  

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By Cathy Saunders

PATIENTS with severe allergic asthma may benefit from a new therapy that uses an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody.

Added to conventional therapy, omalizumab (Xolair) -- the first targeted anti-IgE treatment -- can reduce flare-ups by 50% and emergency admissions by 44% compared with placebo.

Dr Kwok Yan, a respiratory physician at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, said about 1% of adults with asthma would need the drug, which addressed a dangerous problem in an alternative way.

"So far, the target organ has been the airway," he said. ...

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