An antibody drug which helps the immune system deal with allergens may be effective at helping to control allergy-triggered asthma in inner-city children, reports a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers at the U.S.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases performed a 60-week trial with 419 inner-city youth between the ages of six and 20. The participants were given either the antibody drug, omalizumab, or a placebo.
For those on the drug, the number of days with symptoms was cut by nearly a quarter – 24.5 percent. Omalizumab also helped to significantly reduce the number of asthma attacks and hospitalizations due to asthma.
Children taking the drug did not have the same spike in symptoms during the spring and fall, when allergies are usually at their worst. Researchers found that the drug was particularly effective for children who had allergies to cockroaches and dust mites.
Unfortunately, the medication is expensive, costing $10,000 to $20,000 a year, and is currently only approved for use for those over the age of 12.
The researchers therefore do not recommend using the drug "outside of current recommendations given its cost and remaining questions regarding long-term safety in children. We do, however, believe that this study provides a strong proof of concept that the allergic component of asthma is crucial in this population."