A drug already used to treat moderate-to-severe allergic asthma seems to offer relief to people with chronic Diseases that have not been helped by standard medications, new research suggests.

The prescription drug — omalizumab (Xolair) — is currently available to deal with hives, following U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval earlier this year for this use.

The present study confirms that when Xolair is taken at a high dose for a long-term period it seems to be both effective and safe at controlling the often debilitating and acute itching that exerts hives.

Chronic hives can last for months, and also have a tendency to go and come without a clear idea about what brings it on while not lethal.

The group tested its efficacy among over 260 hives patients for whom treatment had failed to research the possible of Xolair.

Patients were randomly divided into four classes, where they were respectively treated with a once-a-month shot of Xolair in either a 75 milligram (mg) dose, a 150 mg dose, a 300 mg dose, or a dummy shot.

Tracking has been conducted for both a three-month period and a six-month interval.

The group discovered that individuals, from the week given Xolair showed a marked decrease in their number of hive intensity hives and seriousness, in comparison with. And Rosen noted that roughly 40 percent saw a complete disappearance of all symptoms, while 80 percent experienced “that which we predict minimally significant advancement.”

Symptom relief was preserved through the six-month mark, along with the authors determined that people treated with the highest (300 mg) dosage of Xolair watched the biggest improvement.

Side effects were described as being mild to moderate, and added headaches, joint pain, sinus disease and reactions in the point of injection.

The study authors acknowledged that study will be needed to see the medication performs over longer Amounts of Time.