Long-Term Omalizumab use in the Treatment of Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis

Abstract

Reported is a case of a 39-year-old male who was diagnosed with exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIA). He was initially treated prophylactically with fexofenadine, montelukast, and ranitidine. He also used an epinephrine autoinjector as needed. He was refractory to these medications and continued to have episodes of EIA. He was then started on a trial of omalizumab, an immunoglobulin E monoclonal antibody, and had resolution of the EIA episodes. After discontinuation of the omalizumab, the EIA episodes returned. He was restarted on omalizumab and since that time, has had 5 years free of EIA episodes and can now exercise without any symptoms. To our knowledge, this is only the third case in the literature of successful treatment of EIA by using omalizumab. This case was unique because it provided successful long-term use of omalizumab for EIA. Further studies are recommended for the use of omalizumab in the treatment of EIA.