Omalizumab for the Treatment of Bullous Pemphigoid: A Single Center Experience

Abstract

Bullous pemphigoid is the most common bullous dermatosis seen in elderly population and accompanied by many comorbidities. Since immunoglobuline-E (Ig-E) antibodies play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease, omalizumab targeting Ig-E proposes an effective and safe profile. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of omalizumab in bullous pemphigoid patients. Nineteen patients who received omalizumab treatment for at least 3 months with the diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid were included in the study. All patients had at least 1 comorbid condition, the most common being hypertension (79.0%) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (68.4%). The mean number of omalizumab treatments was 7.0±2.9. With omalizumab treatment, complete response was achieved in 11 (57.9%) of the patients and partial response was achieved in 8 (42.1%). The initial systemic steroid dose could be reduced in all patients with a complete response. All patients tolerated omalizumab without side‐effects. In conclusion, omalizumab is an effective and safe treatment option that reduces the need for systemic corticosteroids in patients with older age and multiple comorbidities. Further large-scale and prospective studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of omalizumab in the treatment of bullous pemphigoid.