Novartis and Allergy UK call for greater GP awareness of CSU

Novartis and Allergy UK have allied to launch a report revealing an urgent need for the NHS to place a higher priority on the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU).

The Wheals of Despair report was created by hospital specialist consultants, primary care professionals and Allergy UK, with funding from Novartis. It encourages the urgent reevaluation of the current approach to CSU, setting out a number of key challenges that must be addressed.

Currently, more than half of those with CSU have to wait one year to see a specialist, with the same proportion also saying they do not have control over their symptoms. Meanwhile, one in four miss work every month and nine out of ten experience sleep disruptions.

Moreover, despite new treatment options recently emerging for CSU patients who are unresponsive to established therapies, most healthcare professionals and patients remain unaware of what is available.

Dr Nuala Lynch, a GP with a special interest in allergy at Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We need to raise GP awareness of CSU and highlight the importance of early detection and appropriate treatment in helping to reduce the emotional distress we've seen in this patient audit."

This comes after Novartis' Xolair became the first EU-approved therapy for CSU patients who are unresponsive to antihistamines earlier this year.