Asthmatics to receive targeted treatment

Novartis and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Translational Research Partnership are investigating how omalizumab can be targeted to better treat asthma patients

Omalizumab is an approved therapy for people who do not respond to steroid treatment with long-acting reliever medication.

NIHR said the study into omalizumab is enabling researchers to identify which biomarkers are changed by the treatment. This should make it possible to quickly identify those patients who will get the most benefit from omalizumab treatment, giving them relief from severe symptoms.

The study was developed by the NIHR Southampton Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit and is being managed by the NIHR funded Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Southampton.

Life sciences minister, George Freeman, said: "Severe asthma has a huge impact on people's lives, so by targeting treatments more effectively it will not only support patients but make better use of NHS resources.

"We invest over £1 billion each year in the National Institute for Health Research which is helping us to better understand these treatments. It is great news that Novartis has teamed up with the NIHR's expert researchers to ensure that the right treatment is given to the right patient at the right time."

Mark Samuels from the NIHR's Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure, which runs the Translational Research Partnership, said: “We are collaborating with the life sciences industry to beat debilitating illnesses that affect so many of us.

“Our experts are working closely with companies to bring new treatments to patients faster for a range of inflammatory diseases. This is yet another example of global pharma recognising that Britain has some of the world's best research talent and expertise."

Study lead Ratko Djukanovic, from University Hospital Southampton, said: "Omalizumab is an effective and widely used treatment for this group of patients and it is important to be able to predict which patients are likely to get maximum benefit from it.

“This new study should help identify the biomarkers that will help us to target this treatment more effectively. It is using sophisticated state-of-the-art laboratory technologies and builds on the collaborative spirit we have developed in the Partnership."

The study brings together some of the UK's leading asthma researchers across 14 research centres and will recruit 200 patients, according to NIHR.