Demonstration of therapeutic equivalence of generic and innovator beclomethasone in seasonal allergic rhinitis. SAR Study Group

Treating Moderate-to-Severe Allergic Asthma with a Recombinant Humanized Anti-IgE Monoclonal Antibody (Omalizumab)

Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways which is recognized as a highly prevalent health problem in both the developed and the developing world, with significant human and economic consequences.Allergy is acknowledged as a major risk factor for asthma. The pathogenetic aspects of allergic asthma are characterized by airway inflammation with infiltration of mast cells, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes and T helper type 2 lymphocytes, along with the isotype switching of B cells to generate immunoglobulins of the immunoglobulin E (IgE) class. Increased asthma severity is not only associated with recurrent hospitalization and increased mortality but also with higher social costs.Inhaled corticosteroids are the standard anti-inflammatory medication and are effective for most asthma patients, but there is a substantial number of asthmatics who remain symptomatic even after receiving treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta(2)-adrenoceptor agonists (beta(2)-agonists), and sometimes are in need of systemic corticosteroids to control the disease. These patients account for about 50% of the healthcare costs of asthma.New treatment options more specifically targeting the pathophysiologic events causing development of asthma are therefore required in these patients.A novel therapeutic approach to asthma and other allergic respiratory diseases involves interference with the action of IgE and prevention of subsequent IgE-mediated responses.Omalizumab is a humanized recombinant monoclonal anti-IgE antibody developed for the treatment of allergic diseases, with clear efficacy in adolescent and adult patients with moderate-to-severe allergic asthma. This non-anaphylactogenic anti-IgE antibody inhibits IgE functions by blocking free serum IgE and inhibiting their binding to cellular receptors. Omalizumab therapy is well tolerated and significantly improves symptoms and disease control, and reduces asthma exacerbations and the need to use high dosages of inhaled corticosteroids. Moreover, omalizumab improves quality of life of patients with severe persistent allergic asthma that is inadequately controlled by currently available asthma medications. In conclusion, omalizumab may fulfill an important need in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma inadequately controlled with inhaled corticosteroids +beta(2)-agonists.

Noninterventional open-label trial investigating the efficacy and safety of ectoine containing nasal spray in comparison with beclomethasone nasal spray in patients with allergic rhinitis

Objectives. The current study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of a classical anti-inflammatory beclomethasone nasal spray in comparison to a physic-chemical stabilizing ectoine containing nasal spray in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Design and Methods. This was a noninterventional, open-label, observational trial investigating the effects of beclomethasone or ectoine nasal spray on nasal symptoms and quality of life. Over a period of 14 days, patients were asked to daily document their symptoms. Efficacy and tolerability were assessed by both physicians and patients. Results. Both treatments resulted in a significant decrease of TNSS values. An equivalence test could not confirm the noninferiority of ectoine treatment in comparison with beclomethasone treatment. Although clear symptom reduction was achieved with the ectoine products, the efficacy judgment showed possible advantages for the beclomethasone group. Importantly, tolerability results were comparably good in both groups, and a very low number of adverse events supported this observation. Both treatments resulted in a clear improvement in the quality of life as assessed by a questionnaire answered at the beginning and at the end of the trial. Conclusion. Taken together, it was shown that allergic rhinitis can be safely and successfully treated with beclomethasone and also efficacy and safety were shown for ectoine nasal spray.

Comparative safety and efficacy of 2 formulations of fluticasone aqueous nasal spray in persistent allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND

There are few data on the clinical equivalence of different nasal corticosteroids in persistent allergic rhinitis (AR). Studies measuring plasma concentrations after a single dose may not predict relative systemic bioactivity at steady state.

OBJECTIVE

To compare a test formulation of fluticasone propionate with the innovator using a noninferiority design.

METHODS

Twenty-three patients with persistent AR were randomized to completion in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover manner to receive the formulations at 200 microg/d for 4 weeks, with baselines measured after 2-week run-in and washout periods. The primary outcome measure was the Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniRQLQ) score.

RESULTS

Both formulations produced significant improvements in MiniRQLQ scores as change from baseline (P < .001), with a nonsignificant mean difference (test vs innovator) of -0.06 U (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.41 to 0.52 U) and the lower bound of the 95% CI being above the predefined noninferiority limit of -0.7 U. Both formulations produced significant improvements in peak nasal inspiratory flow rates as change from baseline (P < .01), with a nonsignificant mean difference of 0.5 L x min(-1) (95% CI, 9.8 to 10.8 L x min(-1)). There were also significant reductions in total nasal symptom scores (P < .01), with a nonsignificant mean difference of 0.4 U (95% CI, 0.3 to 1.1 U). No significant suppression of the 10-hour overnight urinary cortisol to creatinine ratio was seen with either formulation.

CONCLUSIONS

The test formulation was noninferior to the innovator for the primary outcome of MiniRQLQ score. The secondary efficacy and safety end points also support the interchangeability of the 2 formulations.

The health-related quality of life effects of once-daily cetirizine HCl in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) is characterized by subjectively irritating symptoms that can have a substantial impact on the patient's health-related quality of life (HRQL), adversely affecting physical and social or work activity, interpersonal relationships, and general psychological well-being. The objective of this study was to test the effect of cetirizine HCl 10 mg once daily on the HRQL of adult patients 18-65 years of age with SAR, concurrently assessing safety and efficacy.

METHODS

Randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group trial conducted during the 1999 spring SAR season at 19 centers in the US. Following a 1-week placebo run-in period, qualified patients were randomized to cetirizine 10 mg, or placebo once daily for a 2-week treatment period. Change in Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) and Total Symptom Severity Complex (TSSC) scores from baseline were the primary outcomes of interest.

RESULTS

Of the 611 patients enrolled, 403 (66%) were randomized. Cetirizine-treated patients reported significantly greater improvement in overall HRQL (P < 0.001) and in each of the seven domains of the RQLQ at all time-points (P < 0.05 to < 0.001) than the placebo group. They also experienced significantly greater symptom relief (P < 0.001) and were more satisfied with treatment (65% vs. 44%) compared to the placebo group. Correlations between symptomatic relief and overall HRQL improvement were moderate to strong and statistically significant (r = 0.49-0.68, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Results of this study are consistent with previous investigations, suggesting cetirizine HCl 10 mg taken once daily in the morning offers symptomatic relief that improves the HRQL of adults suffering from SAR.

The cost of treating allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is a high-cost, high-prevalence disease. In the year 2000, over $6 billion was spent on prescription medications to treat this illness. Although it is not associated with severe morbidity and mortality, allergic rhinitis has a major effect on the quality of life of the more than 50 million Americans with this illness. Intranasal corticosteroids (INCS) and nonsedating antihistamines (NSAH) are the most common prescription medications for this disease. INCS are recognized as the most effective treatment regimen for chronic symptoms. NSAH are perceived as important in the treatment of patients with mild disease, or as add-on therapy to INCS. When the literature is reviewed, the INCS produce the greatest decrease in total nasal symptom scores, the largest effect size, when compared with NSAH. Both classes of medications produce similar effects on concurrent allergic conjunctivitis. Further recent studies indicate that the INCS are also superior when used on an as-needed basis, and that there is little clinical benefit from the addition of loratadine to intranasal fluticasone. INCS have lower average wholesale prices as a class than the NSAH. Since the INCS are the dominant medication in efficacy studies and cost less, cost-effectiveness studies always favor intranasal corticosteroids.

Anti-immunoglobulin E (omalizumab) therapy in seasonal allergic rhinitis

Anti-immunoglobulin E (anti-IgE) (omalizumab), a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody that binds to circulating IgE, has been studied in several large double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials to determine its pharmacokinetic characteristics, efficacy, and safety in ragweed- or birch pollen-induced seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). The consequences of readministering omalizulab after a lapse of time have also been studied. These studies have confirmed that serum-free IgE declines in a dose-related manner with such treatment and that omalizumab-induced declines in IgE correlate with symptom improvement. Whether omalizumab is administered intravenously or subcutaneously, its pharmacokinetics do not differ. A Phase II dose-ranging study demonstrated that the optimum efficacious dose of omalizumab for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis is 300 mg administered subcutaneously. The dosing frequency, in terms of whether the antibody is administered every 3 or 4 wk, is based on the patient's baseline IgE level. With adequate dosing, nasal and ocular symptoms are significantly reduced, and quality of life is significantly improved. Omalizumab is safe and well tolerated and can be safely readministered in subsequent pollen seasons.