Efficacy of single-grass-allergen-immunotherapy-tablet in allergic rhinitis
A study (1) presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) in Washington DC this March, concluded that treatment with a single-grass-allergen allergen immunotherapy tablet (AIT) yielded significant symptom and medication reductions in allergic rhinitis patients mono- or multi-sensitized to inhalant allergens regardless of the existence/absence of sensitivities to tree allergens.
The study was a post-hoc analysis of data from 568 patients in whom symptoms were largely confined to the grass pollen season, who participated in year one of a three year placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of grass AIT (75,000 SQ-T/2,800 BAU, Phleum-pratense, ALK-Abello´). Daily treatment started 16 weeks prior to the grass-pollen season and continued throughout the season. It was found that 161 patients were mono-sensitized, 191 tree multi-sensitised, and 216 non-tree multi-sensitized. Treatment with grass AIT was found to reduce symptom and medication scores in mono- and multi-sensitized patients regardless of presence or absence of tree-related sensitivities. Compared to placebo, grass AIT reduced median daily symptoms by 31%, 44%, and 30% as well as median daily medication scores by 49%, 27%, and 60% in mono-, tree multi-sensitized, and non-tree multi-sensitized patients, respectively.
1. The Efficacy Of Single-grass-allergen-immunotherapy-tablet Treatment In Mono- And Multi-sensitized Allergic Rhinitis Patients: Findings From A Post Hoc Analysis. W. Emminger, S. R. Durham, B. Riis et al. Abs 275