Healthcare Resource Utilization in Patients Receiving Omalizumab for Allergic Asthma in a Real-World Setting

INTRODUCTION: Inadequately controlled asthma is associated with increased healthcare resource utilization. The eXpeRience registry was initiated to evaluate real-world outcomes in patients receiving omalizumab for uncontrolled persistent allergic asthma. The current analysis of data from the eXpeRience registry focuses on healthcare resource utilization and on absences from work or school. METHODS: The eXpeRience was a 2-year, multinational, non-interventional, observational registry conducted to investigate real-world outcomes among patients receiving omalizumab in accordance with country-specific prescribing criteria for the treatment of uncontrolled persistent allergic asthma. Asthma-related healthcare resource utilization (hospitalizations, emergency room visits or unscheduled-asthma-related doctor visits or interventions) and absences from work or school were assessed pre-treatment (12-month data were collected retrospectively at baseline) and at months 12 and 24 after the initiation of omalizumab treatment. Serious adverse event (SAE) data were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 943 patients (mean age 45 years; female 65%) were enrolled in the registry. Overall, the mean (standard deviation [SD]) number of asthma-related medical healthcare uses per patient decreased from 6.2 (6.97) during the pre-treatment period to 1.0 (1.96) and 0.5 (1.28) at months 12 and 24, respectively. The mean (SD) number of work or school days missed due to asthma was also lower at months 12 (3.5 [17.28] and 1.6 [4.28], respectively) and 24 (1.0 [4.66] and 1.9 [5.46], respectively) compared with the pre-treatment period (26.4 [49.61] and 20.7 [27.49], respectively). The nature and frequency of SAEs in the eXpeRience registry were comparable to that seen in interventional clinical trials with omalizumab. CONCLUSION: The results of the eXpeRience registry indicate that omalizumab is associated with reductions in healthcare utilization, and in the number of days of absence from work or school, in patients with uncontrolled persistent allergic asthma in the real-world setting. FUNDING: Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13554-014-0019-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.