Overview Therapeutic strategies for treating asthma are via decreasing inflammation increasing sympathetic tone There are 7 families of drugs that are commonly used: corticosteroids β-agonists muscarinic antagonists methylxanthines cromolyn antileukotrienes omalizumab Omalizumab Clinical use severe uncontrolled asthma refractory to oral glucocorticoid therapy patient has daily symptoms patient has limited activity Mechanism is an anti-IgE antibody inhibits action of IgE with inflammatory cells asthma can be caused by uncontrollably high IgE response