Long-term efficacy and safety of omalizumab in conventional
treatment-resistant vernal keratoconjunctivitis: case reports and
literature review
Abstract
Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a severe chronic ocular disease
characterized by recurring acute and/or chronic corneal-conjunctival
inflammation leading to visual sequelae. Since no therapy is universally
effective at treating VKC, novel treatments are currently under
investigation, such as anti-immunoglobulin (Ig)E [1]. Omalizumab, a
recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb) binding to the Fcε portion of the
immunoglobulin (Ig)E, has been licensed by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) as an add-on
therapy for the treatment of severe not controlled allergic asthma both
in adults and children (age ≥ six years), [2-4] as well as in severe
chronic idiopathic urticaria, and even as off-label use in other
diseases [5, 6]. Although the clinical efficacy and safety of
omalizumab have already been extensively investigated in the treatment
of other IgE-mediated diseases [7, 8], very few literature data
support the use of omalizumab in VKC [9-14]. In the present study,
we report our clinical experience with omalizumab to treat severe VKC
unresponsive to standard therapy in two children. An updated overview of
the current literature is also provided.