The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7248 p642
10 May 2003

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National Asthma Campaign (www.asthma.org.uk)
National Heart and Lung Institute (more)

Asthma vaccine possible in six years

A vaccine for people with allergies has shown promising results and may lead to the development of a treatment for asthma. Professor Barry Kay and Dr Mark Larche of the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College, London, are developing a prototype vaccine for people with allergy to cats but they believe it could be extended to a range of allergens.

The vaccine uses small parts of the allergen that react with T cells. The researchers say that using this, rather than the whole allergen, reduces the risk of adverse effects. So far, 60 people have been given the vaccine with promising results. However, Professor Kay warns: "People with asthma should not have their hopes raised at this stage because it is too early to say with certainty if the vaccine will pass all the rigorous tests involved in the development of a new therapy."

The research is funded by the National Asthma Campaign. The charity's chief medical officer Professor Martyn Patridge commented: "Hopefully this will lead to new treatments for people with asthma in the next five to six years."