Use of a Combination of Allergen Immunotherapy and Omalizumab for Prevention of Anaphylaxis

AbstractPurpose of reviewAllergen immunotherapy (AIT) is aimed at the etiological treatment of respiratory allergy and Hymenoptera venom allergy, while it is still under investigation for food allergy. The incidence of anaphylactic reactions to AIT is generally low, but may hamper its completion and makes needed preventive treatment.Recent findingsSeveral studies focused the attention on the use of the anti-IgE antibody omalizumab to prevent anaphylaxis in patients at high risk of systemic reactions, that is especially elevated during food allergy AIT and, in certain circumstances, during venom immunotherapy (VIT).SummaryWe performed a systematic review to analyze the use of omalizumab to prevent anaphylaxis during the course of AIT. The administration of omalizumab prior to AIT proved to improve the safety, reducing the rate of systemic adverse reactions. Double-blind placebo-controlled trials are rare and most of the available studies are case/small series reports. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the indication of omalizumab treatment in AIT.
Source: Current Treatment Options in Allergy - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research