Omalizumab treatment of moderate to severe asthma in the adolescent and pediatric population

Background In Canada and the US, omalizumab is indicated for adults and adolescents (>12 years of age) with moderate to severe persistent allergic asthma. In the EU, omalizumab has been approved for children (age 6 – 11 years) since 2009. The pediatric population within Canada and the United States has very few treatment options available for severe asthma. Current treatments options can lead to other health concerns such as adrenal insufficiency and osteoporosis. These cases demonstrate that early treatment of moderate to severe asthma with omalizumab is an effective treatment and can help to prevent or reverse damage done by long-term use of other treatment options.