Xolair is a different kind of allergic asthma medication. It's the first asthma treatment that works by blocking immunoglobulin E (IgE), the underlying cause for allergic asthma symptoms.

Allergic asthma is caused by allergens in the air and is a common form of the disease. The National Institutes of Health estimates that 60% of the people in the United States with asthma have allergic asthma.

Xolair treats allergic asthma in a way that is different from the asthma medicines you are taking now. If you are taking inhaled steroids yet continue to have asthma attacks and symptoms, Xolair may be able to help.

Xolair is a medication that is currently prescribed only for patients with moderate to severe persistent allergic asthma. This means a person experiences one or more of the following:

• Asthma symptoms everyday.
• The need to use a rescue medication (bronchodilator) everyday.
• Asthma attacks two or more times a week.
• Asthma that occurs while sleeping, causing patients to wake up one or more nights a week.
• A below-normal reading (less than 80%) of peak expiratory flow or forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV) which are measures of how the lungs are functioning.

When is it indicated?

• Xolair is indicated only for persons 12 years of age or older.

• Xolair is indicated only for asthma that is triggered by allergens in the air. This is known as allergic asthma, and can be only confirmed by a doctor using allergy skin or blood tests (allergy skin testing is preferred because these tests are more sensitive and specific, and are less costly).

• Xolair is indicated only for patients who continue to have asthma symptoms even though they are taking inhaled steroids on a daily basis.

Adding Xolair injections to an existing treatment program using inhaled steroids has been clinically proven to help reduce the number of asthma attacks a person experiences.

Important safety information: In clinical studies, 0.5% of patients receiving Xolair developed cancer, compared to 0.2% of patients receiving placebo injections. Several different types of cancer were seen, and it is felt that this small difference is probably not clinically significant.

As a result of this finding, Genentech and Novartis, the producers of Xolair, are currently conducting a clinical study to determine the true safety and clinical efficacy of Xolair. Michigan Allergy Sinus & Asthma Specialists is one of the research sites that are participating in this study, and is still currently enrolling patients who meet the criteria for Xolair therapy. Patients will be reimbursed for their time. Any person interested in obtaining further information about Xolair should contact our office or the Xolair website: Xolair.com.

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Michigan Allergy, Sinus & Asthma Specialists

6330 Orchard Lake Road #110 West Bloomfield, MI 48322 Tel: 248.932.0082 Fax: 248.932.0182 view map

37595 Seven Mile Road #320 Livonia, MI 48152 Tel: 800.739.6100 Fax: 248.932.0182 view map

Web: www.michiganallergy.com
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Email: miallergy@comcast.net

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