24/08/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has approved Xolair produced by Novartis as add-on therapy for severe persistent allergic asthma in children aged 6 to 11 years, the Swiss pharmaceutical group announced on Monday 24 August. Xolair had already been approved in 2005 for children aged 12 and over. Asthma is a chronic lung disease which affects 10% of children in Europe, Novartis points out, adding that severe forms of the disease remain uncontrolled in more than 50% of children with this condition. According to a 2008 study, Xolair reduces asthma attacks by 34% after 24 weeks of treatment and provides an overall reduction of 50% at one year in patients aged 6 to 11 years. The Swiss group made Xolair sales worth $140 million (€97.9 million) during the first half of the year. (L.C./transl.jl)