OBJECTIVES: Uncontrolled asthma is a condition associated with high morbidity and healthcare costs. We described healthcare resource use (HCRU) and related costs in asthma adults and children treated with omalizumab (OMA) before and after OMA initiation (T₀).

METHODS: The French Healthcare Database System (SNDS) was used to select asthma patients who initiated OMA from Jan-2012 to Dec-2019. Main HCRU and costs potentially associated with asthma – excluding OMA costs - were described from the year before T₀ to two years of exposure, per 6-months periods, for patients still exposed to OMA. Costs were assessed from the collective perspective and indexed in €2019.

RESULTS: HCRU decreased over the 2-year follow-up after T₀ both in adults (n=5,820) and children (n=1,069). Compared with before T₀, in adults and children respectively, hospitalizations for asthma decreased by 73.8% and 76.6% at 2 years, oral cortico-steroids (OCS) consumption by 27.9% and 32.5%, and inhaled cortico-steroids (ICS) by 1.0% and 11.6%. A reduction was also observed for mean daily doses of ICS (3.7% and 21.2%) and OCS in adults (22.2%).

The costliest period was the 6-months period before T₀: 4,265 € for adults, 3,614 € for children and the cheapest period was the [12;18] months period after T₀: 3,290 € for adults and 2,581 € for children. These costs were maintained up to the [18;24] months period.

Regarding total costs – excluding OMA - over the 2-year follow-up after T₀, highest costs were observed for inhaled asthma treatments (1,442.7€; 10.7% of total costs) in adults and hospitalizations for asthma in children (1,248.0€; 10.8% of total costs).

CONCLUSIONS: This showed a marked decrease of main HCRU and costs associated with asthma after OMA initiation, and, noticeably, their maintenance over time in patients still exposed to OMA.