Omalizumab and cancer risk: Current evidence in allergic asthma, chronic urticaria, and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps

Diego Bagnasco; Rikki Frank Canevari; Stefano Del Giacco; Silvia Ferrucci; Paolo Pigatto; Paolo Castelnuovo; Gian Luigi Marseglia; Arzu Didem Yalcin; Girolamo Pelaia; Giorgio Walter Canonica

doi:10.1016/j.waojou.2022.100721

Omalizumab and cancer risk: Current evidence in allergic asthma, chronic urticaria, and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps

World Allergy Organ J. 2022 Nov 26;15(12):100721. doi: 10.1016/j.waojou.2022.100721. eCollection 2022 Dec.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Allergy and Respiratory Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine (DIMI), University of Genoa, Italy.
² IRCCS Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
³ Unit of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
⁴ Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
⁵ Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
⁶ Clinical Dermatology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
⁷ Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Varese, Italy.
⁸ Pediatric Clinic, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico "S. Matteo," University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
⁹ Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Antalya Education and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Antalya, Turkey.
¹⁰ Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
¹¹ Personalized Medicine Center, Asthma and Allergy, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, IRCCS, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.

Abstract

Omalizumab is a biological drug targeting circulating IgE, approved for use in allergic asthma, chronic spontaneous urticaria, and recently for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, with good efficacy in all these settings. Some concerns about omalizumab safety have been raised as its use has been recently linked to potential increased cancer risk. Nevertheless, literature evidence does not support this statement, and clinical studies and evidence from real-world registries and surveillance analysis have consistently reported drug safety.

Keywords: Anti IgE; Cancer; Monoclonal antibodies; Omalizumab; Severe asthma.