Asthma: omalizumab, mepolizumab similarly effective as add-on therapy
Takeaway
- Omalizumab (Xolair) and mepolizumab (Nucala) showed similar efficacy in patients with asthma that was not well controlled on inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) with or without other agents.
Why this matters
- To date, there has been no direct comparison study to assess the efficacy of omalizumab and mepolizumab as add-on therapy in patients with asthma.
- This is the first meta-analysis to compare the 2 agents in patients with asthma.
- Based on available evidence, neither drug can be recommended over the other in patients who qualify for both.
Study design
- Network meta-analysis of 18 studies (4854 patients) evaluating omalizumab and 4 studies (1620 patients) evaluating mepolizumab since inception till February 2016 met the eligibility criteria.
- Funding: None disclosed.
Key results
- Mean difference (MD) in FEV improvement between omalizumab and mepolizumab was 9.3 mL (P=1).
- Improvement in morning Peak Expiratory Flow Rate and Asthma Control Questionnaire score was similar in both groups (MD, 6.24 L/min [P=.72] and MD, −0.02 [P=1], respectively).
Limitations
- Heterogeneity between studies.
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