Reduced healthcare resource utilization in asthma patients treated with omalizumab in the clinical practice in Spain

Abstract

Introduction: In a Spanish cohort of uncontrolled patients(pts) who initiated omalizumab(OMA) in the clinical practice, symptoms and exacerbations were significantly improved. Here, we describe the concomitant change in asthma-related healthcare resource utilization(HRU) and on absences from work or school. Methods: Analysis of HRU by the Spanish pts of a prospective, 2-years, international registry of subjects with uncontrolled severe allergic asthma who started OMA in the previous 15 weeks. Results: Among 96 subjects with a mean age (SD, range) of 45 (15;16-75) years, 69% females, the percentages of pts without clinically significant exacerbations and no severe exacerbations increased from 9% (mean 3.7/pt) and 45%, respectively, in the pre-OMA year, up to 65% (mean 1.0/pt) and 84% during the 1st year with OMA (p<0.001 vs previous year in both cases), and 85% (mean: 0.3/pt) and 93% during the 2nd year (p=0.03 and p=0.18 vs 1st year). The table reflects the decreases in mean number of HRU per patient from the pre-OMA year to 1st and 2nd years. There were no serious adverse events. Conclusion: The clinical improvement observed with OMA in pts with uncontrolled severe persistent allergic asthma is associated with reductions in healthcare utilization,and in work or school productivity losses.