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European Journal of Dermatology

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Real-life, long-term data on efficacy, safety, response and discontinuation patterns of omalizumab in a Greek population with chronic spontaneous urticaria Volume 30, issue 6, November-December 2020

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Authors
1 State Dermatology Department, Hippokratio General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece
2 First Dermatology Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
3 Second Dermatology Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
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Background: Omalizumab is approved for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) not responding to antihistamines. Data on omalizumab use in real-world settings and in different populations are lacking. Objectives: To record our five-year experience of omalizumab use in patients with refractory CSU in a real-world setting. Materials & Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records of 80 patients with refractory CSU was performed. Demographic, and clinical characteristics, patterns of response, discontinuation strategies and rate of recurrence were analysed. Results: Eighty individuals were included. UAS7 and DLQI significantly decreased from baseline. Complete response was achieved in 86.3%. Late response was observed at 27.5% of the patients. After discontinuation, 21.7% of patients reinitiated omalizumab due to relapse. The mean number of omalizumab administrations up to first discontinuation was 6.8 (based on an approach to shorten the treatment interval). Only 15.0% of patients experienced adverse events during treatment. Conclusion: Omalizumab, with long-term management, was highly effective and safe in achieving control of refractory CSU, with more favourable responses compared to Phase III clinical trials.