Panminerva medica
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Asthma and allergic rhinitis are common conditions that have a substantial impact on patient quality of life, severely disrupting physical, emotional and social functioning. These diseases share many pathophysiological characteristics and recent research has provided evidence that a strong causal relationship exists between allergy and both asthma and allergic rhinitis. As a root cause of allergic diseases of the airways, immunoglobulin E (IgE) represents an appropriate target for the development of new therapies. ⋯ Omalizumab significantly improved disease symptoms and reduced the use of rescue antihistamines. In patients with concomitant asthma and perennial allergic rhinitis, omaliuzumab significantly prevented asthma exacerbations and improved quality of life compared with placebo. Taken together, these results suggest that omalizumab represents an important clinical advance in the management of allergic disease.