Xolair is for use by patients aged 12 and over who fall into the rare 5% of asthma patients who experience severe, life-endangering attacks.  The stages of asthma are graded 1-5 with stage 5 being the most severe. This treatment is designed for patients in stages 4 or 5.

Said Prof. Britton: “My research fellow, Dr Monica Nordstrom, and I have been involved in many asthma-related clinical trials over the years, and the Respiratory Department of St. Peter’s Hospital has developed a reputation for doing good research, after becoming one of the leading European trial sites for another drug for asthma the first long-acting bronchodilator –salmeterol (Serevent).  So the drug company, Norvartis, came to us and asked us to become a Xolair trial site in 2000. All the patients involved have all had a significant improvement in their quality of life.”

So great was the improvement in the health of the patients in the trials that when the drug was launched on the market 12 months ago, when the free trials ended,   the Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust took on the financial responsibility for the average cost of £6,000 per year per patient,  without any help from North West Surrey PCT.  Without the continued use of the drug patients would be likely to need regular hospital admissions at a cost of £1,600 a day for an intensive care unit bed or £240 a day for a medical unit bed.

The difference between this drug and others is that it is the first drug ever to be used to block the body’s immune reaction to inhaled particles likely to cause an allergic reaction.  The IgE molecule known is responsible for setting off the inflammatory reaction exposure to house dust mites, cats, dogs, feathers etc.                                                                                       

The IgE molecule has been known about in the medical world for almost 50 years. By developing the new drug that blocks the effect of IgE  the scientist have been able to produce a formula that is injected under the skin, and not into the blood stream, that will “mop-up” all the IgE molecules.  Depending on the patient’s physic the dose and the injections are given every two or four weeks.

Said Prof. Britton: “It is only suitable for very severe allergic asthmatics.  It’s new, and we cannot be sure of the effects that a long-term blocking agent will bring. These severe asthmatics are usually patients’ that have been in and out of hospital, often needing regular or frequent doses of oral steroids, which have risks; or, they are patients that have sudden or severe life-endangering attacks.”

He added: “During attacks asthmatics suddenly feel very breathless and can’t breathe.  Breathlessness is very frightening. Their whole quality of life is affected, they can’t do so many things we take for granted, like walking in fields, being near animals, going to pubs and dances.  This can lead to them being off work, in and out of hospital or confined to their home.

“My aim, as a doctor, is  to enable most asthmatics to enjoy a normal life with a degree of safety.  But there was a small group of patients where, despite all therapies, we were not able to achieve total control and give them a good quality if life.  Most of the patient treated with Xolair have had a significant improvement in their quality of life.”

Mark Britton’s first close-hand experience of asthma’s effect on a person’s daily life came when he was an 11-year-old primary school pupil. His teacher has “catastrophic” asthma that was distressing for her, and often resulted in her being unable to take her class.

Later, after studying medicine at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, he was appointed Wellcome Research Fellow at theRoyal London Hospital, Whitechapel, where his findings proved that an anti-allergy drug under scrutiny did not work!                                                                                        

He came to St. Peter’s Hospital as a Consultant Physician in 1983 and one of his aims was to set up a clinically-based research facility.  The reputation of the research work in respiratory medicine is well established and Prof Britton and DrMonica Nordstrom, have both received international recognition for their work.  The respiratory department has been a leading site in the development of several new drugs for both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Said Prof. Britton: “I am basically a clinician looking after patients.   However, if you run research alongside your clinical work patient’s benefit. At St. Peter’s we were pleased to be involved in the Xolair trials and we welcome the NICE announcement. This is the first real advance in asthma therapy for over a decade that will have a significant impact upon those patients with severe asthma. The NICE decision will mean that doctor will find it significantly easier to obtain funding for their patient.

Prof Britton, 60, of Walton, held the honorary role of Chairman of the British Lung Foundation for six years and was recently appointed a Vice-President.  He was appointed Visiting Professor in Respiratory medicine at the University of Surrey earlier this year.