Efficacy of omalizumab for the treatment of bullous pemphigoid: Spanish multicentre real-world experience

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune blistering disease. Most patients are older and have associated multiple comorbidities. Topical and systemic corticosteroids are considered the first-line treatment for BP, and immunosuppressants are used as steroid-sparing treatments. However, both have side-effects and contraindications, which are even more common in this older population. New treatments targeting interleukins and receptors related to BP pathogenesis have been proposed to decrease these side-effects while achieving equal or better effectiveness and response rates. Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets IgE and has been proposed for the treatment of BP due to the evidence that IgE autoantibodies play an essential role in BP pathogenesis.