Recently, the innovative biologic omalizumab was approved by the National Medical Products Administration for the treatment of adults and adolescents (12 years and older) with chronic spontaneous urticaria who remain symptomatic despite H1 antihistamine therapy. With the landing of this innovative therapy in China, patients in Guangzhou can now go to the hospital to obtain corresponding prescriptions for treatment, and the treatment needs of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria are expected to be further met.
Xiao Li is a “senior” patient with chronic spontaneous urticaria. Every time the seasons changed, Xiaoli was covered in wind from head to toe, her lips were so swollen that it affected her speech and eating, and she was itchy and sleepless at night. Because she was worried about the heredity of the disease and the side effects of the drug, Xiaoli also hesitated to have a child. Seeing that she would soon become a “senior mother”, she was on the verge of collapse. Kobayashi, a high school student, was also tormented by this disease. Not only was it unbearably itchy every day, but he was also pointed at by his classmates for taking medicine frequently at school. His grades were even more so because his head was always dizzy and plummeted after taking the medicine. In the eyes of some teachers, he was the bad student who “knows that he sleeps in class every day”, and Kobayashi lost hope in life and study because of this.
Professor Yang Bin, Dean of Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University
Hives are caused by small blood vessels in the skin and mucous membranes A localized edema reaction after expansion and increased permeability, clinically manifested as wheals of varying sizes with pruritus and angioedema in some patients. Professor Yang Bin, Dean of the Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, said: “Urticaria is by no means a simple skin disease, with complex etiologies and many incentives. Severe cases may be accompanied by systemic symptoms such as fever, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, affecting the throat or heart. Severe laryngeal edema can even lead to suffocation, which is life-threatening.” There are more than 10 million chronic urticaria patients in my country, of which about 68% are chronic spontaneous urticaria, and most of them are female patients, most of whom are accompanied by serious mental health damage . Professor Yang Bin emphasized: “Chronic spontaneous urticaria has a serious impact on the quality of life of patients. It has an unknown cause, repeated attacks, and protracted healing, which brings a huge physical and mental burden to patients. Unfortunately, the current treatment of chronic urticaria is still symptomatic. Treatment is the mainstay, and it is difficult to cure.” It is reported that the current clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease mainly relies on antihistamine drugs, but still more than half of the patients have poor results after treatment and their symptoms cannot be improved. Professor Yang Bin introduced that there are not a few patients who are resistant to antihistamine therapy. “Especially young female patients are at an important stage of life, marriage, love and fertility. Systemic use of immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine and tripterygium wilfordii has side effects on the reproductive system. They are not suitable for them, so there are few other options. For some high-risk occupations, professional drivers, surgeons and other patients, their work requires a high degree of concentration, but due to individual differences, it is often heard from patients that they will feel sleepy after taking medicine. There are also juvenile patients. Anything that may affect We can’t take risks in their growth and development treatment options, so safer and more effective drugs are urgently needed in clinical practice.”
Recently, the innovative biological agent omalizumab is expected to be launched further. To meet the treatment needs of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria. The preparation has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria in adults and adolescents (12 years and older) who remain symptomatic despite treatment with H1 antihistamines. Regarding this innovative biological preparation, Professor Yang Bin said that, unlike antihistamines, which only act after the release of histamine, omalizumab specifically binds serum free immunoglobulin E and blocks the abnormal activation of mast cells. to control the disease. At present, it has shown good efficacy and safety in the phase III clinical study in China, and the symptoms of wheal and itching have been significantly relieved within a week, and the biological preparation only needs to be injected once a month, which is relatively convenient and fast. It is reported that omalizumab has been approved for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria in the United States and the European Union and other countries and regions, and has achieved good clinical results.
Written by: Southern Metropolis reporter Zeng Wenqiong
Intern: Tang Jingyang