CSU Resources

Catch up on our ‘Meet the experts’ webinar created in collaboration with the UCARE network, which took place on 28^th October 2021. In this 30-minute session our urticaria experts, Professors Marcus Maurer and Petra Staubach-Renz, reviewed the highlights of the ‘All Things Urticaria’ podcast series, including insights into the burden and treatment of comorbidities in patients with CSU, as well as unmet needs and the future of CSU management.

In videos presented by Professor Louis Felipe Ensina and Dr Ana Giménez-Arnau, learn the use of BTK inhibitors for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), EACCI guideline updates, and the mobile CRUSE app for patient-reported outcomes (PRO).

Welcome and Introduction

Professor Marcus Maurer introduces himself and his friend and colleague Dr Ana Giménez-Arnau, before outlining the objectives of this session.

Favourite aspects from EAACI 2021

In the following video clip, Professor Maurer and Dr Giménez-Arnau share their favourite aspects of this year’s EAACI congress.

Impactful sessions for the field of urticaria

Professor Maurer and Dr Giménez-Arnau look back at the sessions they attended at EAACI 2021, and they share which sessions they believe will have the most impact in the field of urticaria and beyond.

Day 1 of ACAAI: Exploring investigational therapies in CSU

Explore the results of two studies assessing the efficacy and achievement of symptom control of ligelizumab compared to omalizumab in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria in the sessions below from ACAAI 2020

Ligelizumab is a next generation high-affinity monoclonal anti-IgE antibody that was developed to potentially overcome some of the limitations associated with the clinical use of the therapeutic anti-IgE antibody omalizumab⁶.

Kicking off the first day of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting, we followed oral abstracts that summarise the results of two intriguing studies into ligelizumab for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Ligelizumab is one of a number of novel treatments currently under development for the management of CSU. Other promising treatment options such as UB-221, interleukin 5-targeted monoclonal antibodies, chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on TH2 cell antagonists, monoclonal antibodies to Siglec-8, Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors and spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are also under investigation⁷.

Aiming for complete symptomatic control in patients with CSU

Characterised by itchy wheals and/or angioedema for six weeks or more in the absence of specific external stimuli, chronic spontaneous urticaria has a substantial impact on quality of life⁸. Treatment options with a faster action and sustained response have therefore been a key focus of research.

In a Phase 2b clinical trial, ligelizumab has previously demonstrated improved symptom control in patients with moderate to severe CSU inadequately controlled with H1-antihistamines⁹.

As part of the distinguished industry oral abstracts, Dr Thomas Severin shared the results of a study that analysed the early response after the first dose and sustainability over the first twelve weeks of ligelizumab (72 mg and 240 mg) compared to omalizumab (300 mg) in patients with CSU inadequately controlled with H1-antihistamines.

The results of this study showed that patients treated with 72 mg and 240 mg of ligelizumab achieved complete control of the disease, with an Urticaria Activity Score (UAS7) = 0, at a higher rate (20.5% and 18.1%, respectively) than omalizumab (10.7%) following the first dose. This trend continued throughout the following weeks of treatment until Week 12.

For patients who were well-controlled at Week 12, ligelizumab provided a greater and more stable response in terms of complete control of urticaria symptoms, compared with omalizumab, throughout the first twelve weeks of treatment.

The time to first response for patients who achieved complete and well-controlled urticaria was also faster in patients treated with ligelizumab than with omalizumab.

The efficacy of ligelizumab in patients inadequately controlled with omalizumab

Following the positive results of the Phase 2b core study of ligelizumab in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria inadequately controlled with H1-antihistamines, Professor Gordon Sussman provided the results of an exploratory analysis of the Phase 2b extension study.

EADV Virtual 2020 – Overview

At EADV Virtual 2020, the 29th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) congress, new frontiers in dermatology and venereology were explored. In these daily blogs we show you some of the exciting sessions on chronic spontaneous urticaria that were discussed at EADV 2020. Find out more below

From 29^th – 31^st of October 2020, thousands of healthcare professionals and scientists from around the world came together online to explore the latest updates in dermatology and venereology.

Don’t worry if you couldn’t make it to EADV virtual this year. In the next few blog posts, we explore sessions which featured fascinating new insights related to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU).

Day 1: Diagnosis and management of CSU

On the first day of EADV virtual, we followed sessions on the diagnosis and management of chronic spontaneous urticaria and the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Professor Torsten Zuberbier, Dr Tabi Anika Leslie, Associate Professor Emek Kocatürk Göncü and Dr Dagmar Simon share their knowledge on the pathogenesis, differential diagnosis and management of chronic spontaneous urticaria.

Day 2: Phenotypes, biomarkers and targeting the wheal

Day two had insightful sessions discussing phenotypes, biomarkers and new treatments in chronic spontaneous urticaria.

A stimulating session chaired by Professor Marcus Maurer, and joined by Professor Ana Giménez-Arnau, discussed biomarkers for phenotypes of chronic spontaneous urticaria, news in inducible urticarias, and new treatments targeting wheals – the classic skin lesions of urticaria.

We also take a look at an ePoster by Dr Dhiraj Dhoot focusing on the effect of bilastine on chronic spontaneous urticaria refractory to levocetrizine.

Day 3: Exploring study outcomes for CSU

On the final day we learned the results of the PREG-CU study with Associate Professor Emek Kocatürk Göncü. This study is designed to elucidate treatment patterns and outcomes in patients with chronic urticaria during pregnancy.

We also found out the results of an analysis of the first 12 weeks of a Phase 2b study comparing ligelizumab and omalizumab in their ability to achieve symptom control in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria, presented by Professor Marcus Maurer.

Even more at EADV Virtual

In addition to the thought-provoking sessions we highlight, EADV virtual was packed with a huge range of other interesting sessions.

From advanced techniques like spectral-domain optical coherence tomography to determining quality of life in patients and assessing newly modified guidelines for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria, EADV virtual was a unique experience.

So, if you couldn’t make it, read our next post where we share our rundown of the events of the first day, giving you a brief overview of some of the essential sessions on the diagnosis and management of chronic spontaneous urticaria at EADV virtual 2020.