Xolair works by targeting an immune-system molecule called immunoglobulin E (IgE), a crucial defensive weapon that goes into overdrive in many patients with allergic asthma.
The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has approved omalizumab for people in this category who have allergic asthma and who are over 12 years of age.
"It's the first really dramatic advance in 30 years for allergic asthma, " says California-based allergist William Berger , president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, who helped test the drug.
About 60% of the 17 million U.S. asthma sufferers are allergic asthmatics, meaning that their asthma attacks can be triggered by allergic reactions to pollen, dust or other normally harmless substances.
It specifically targets the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE), which is involved in the allergic process in asthma.
They found that atopy a fancy name for allergic reactions including asthma, eczema and hay-fever was significantly more common among those children who had not had measles.
Researchers looked at whether introducing solid food after six months reduced the risk of asthma, allergic reactions and eczema.
And with GlaxoSmithKline, Sirna inked a deal to develop drugs for the treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis.
And with GlaxoSmithKline (nyse: GSK - news - people ), Sirna inked a deal to develop drugs for the treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis.
All the study participants had a family history of allergic disease such as eczema or asthma - making their children more likely to develop such illnesses.
All the study participants had a family history of allergic disease such as eczema or asthma - making their children at higher risk of developing such illnesses themselves.
One in five British children and adults suffers from asthma, eczema and other allergic conditions.
It transpired that he had stayed at a friend's house, and used an asthma inhaler because he was allergic to his friend's cat.
Allergists are excited about Xolair because it is one of the first drugs to prevent the allergic reactions that can lead to life-threatening asthma attacks.
The research, reported in the online journal PLoS One, found that people with asthma, nasal allergies and other common allergic conditions had a significantly reduced risk of developing head and neck cancers.
They used skin prick tests to identify those with allergic reactions, and questionnaires to identify those who developed asthma or eczema.
"People who are diagnosed with asthma that is made worse by pollen and people who have been diagnosed with seasonal allergic rhinitis need to keep track of pollen and other outdoor allergen levels, " says Dr. William Lunn, the director of the interventional pulmonary service at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston.
The results confirm those of previous studies that found higher rates of asthma among American children compared with kids from other countries, and investigators have also reported similar differences in allergic diseases between immigrants and native-born citizens in Italy, Israel and Australia.
When they compared place of birth with allergic-disease prevalence, the scientists found that children born outside of the United States were less likely to develop asthma or allergies compared with those born in the United States: 20% of foreign-born kids developed allergic diseases compared with 34% of the American-born children.
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