Omalizumab may improve outcomes among patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps independent of allergic status

A recent analysis sheds light on the efficacy of omalizumab, an immunoglobulin E (IgE) monoclonal antibody, in managing Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP) across various patient profiles. The study, a post hoc exploratory analysis of data from POLYP 1 and POLYP 2 trials along with an open-label extension (OLE), aimed to evaluate the impact of allergic and asthma status on the response to omalizumab treatment in CRSwNP patients. This study was published in Annals Of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology by Philippe Gevaert and colleagues.

The analysis, encompassing 249 patients, grouped individuals based on the presence or absence of comorbid allergies, asthma, serum total IgE levels, and blood eosinophil counts. Throughout the POLYP 1 and POLYP 2 trials and the OLE, omalizumab demonstrated improvements in Nasal Polyps Score (NPS), Nasal Congestion Score (NCS), and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) irrespective of patients having physician-reported allergic comorbidities, asthma, different IgE levels, or varying blood eosinophil counts. Notably, patients who continued or switched to omalizumab in the OLE exhibited a similar pattern of improvement.

Surprisingly, omalizumab treatment showcased significant improvements in sinonasal outcomes, regardless of allergic comorbidities, asthma status, higher or lower IgE levels, and elevated or normal eosinophil counts. These findings suggest that omalizumab's efficacy in improving CRSwNP symptoms remains consistent across a spectrum of patient profiles.

The study's outcomes imply that omalizumab holds promise as a viable treatment option for CRSwNP, regardless of the patient's specific allergy or asthma status. These findings could potentially broaden the scope of omalizumab's application, suggesting its efficacy across diverse endotypes and phenotypes of CRSwNP.

Reference:

Gevaert, P., Mullol, J., Saenz, R., Ko, J., Steinke, J. W., Millette, L. A., & Meltzer, E. O. Omalizumab improves sinonasal outcomes in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps regardless of allergic status. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Official Publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology,2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2023.11.001