Study protocol
Karsten Weller1*,
Marcus Maurer1,
Clive Grattan2,
Alla Nakonechna3,
Mohamed Abuzakouk3,
Frédéric Bérard4,
Gordon Sussman5,
Ana M. Giménez-Arnau6,
Javier Ortiz de Frutos7,
André Knulst8,
G. Walter Canonica9,
Kelly Hollis10,
Doreen McBride11 and
Maria-Magdalena Balp12
Clinical and Translational Allergy 2015, 5:29 doi:10.1186/s13601-015-0072-9
Abstract
Background
Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) formerly known as chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) is a severe and distressing skin condition that remains uncontrolled in approximately one half of patients, despite the use of licensed, recommended doses of modern, second-generation H 1 -antihistamines. So far, the humanistic, societal and economic burden of CSU/CIU has not been well quantified. Therefore it is important to broaden our understanding of how CSU/CIU impacts patients, society, and healthcare systems, by determining the disease burden of CSU/CIU and the associated unmet need; as well as to further guide the use of new treatments in an efficient and cost-effective manner.