New treatment available for grass pollen allergy
Grazax sublingual tablet contains pollen allergen extract from timothy
grass |
Patients who suffer from allergic rhinitis brought on by grass pollen
could benefit from a new immunotherapy launched this month by ALK-Abelló,
a company that specialises in specific allergy treatments.
Grazax, a grass pollen allergen extract from the Phleum pratense (timothy)
grass, is available as a sublingual tablet for once-daily use. The treatment — the
mechanism for which is not fully understood but is thought to involve
inducing a systemic competitive antibody response towards grass, along
with an increase in specific IgG — is indicated for adults with
clinically relevant symptoms of grass-pollen-induced rhinitis and conjunctivitis
and diagnosed with a positive skin prick test or specific IgE test.
Sekhar Pillai, product manager, ALK-Abelló, told The Journal that
Grazax treatment is patient-specific — for people with confirmed
allergy — and stressed the importance of patients not sharing the
medicine with other people. He also emphasised that the treatment should
be started at least two months before the pollen season begins.
The summary of product characteristics states that clinical effect in
the first treatment season is obtained if Grazax is initiated at least
four months before the expected start of the grass pollen season and
continued throughout the entire season. It says that some efficacy may
be obtained if treatment is started two to three months before the season.
The treatment should be initiated by physicians who have experience in
treating allergic conditions.
A study supported by ALK-Abelló was published in the Journal
of Allergy and Clinical Immunology last year (2006;118:434). It found that
patients experienced a 30 per cent reduction in rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms
score (P<0.0001) and a 38 per cent reduction in medication
score (P<0.0001)
compared with placebo.
The study concludes that Grazax treatment is well tolerated with minor
local side effects. However, it showed that oral pruritus (46 per cent
Grazax versus 4 per cent placebo), mouth oedema (18 per cent versus 1
per cent), nasopharyngitis (15 per cent versus 19 per cent) and ear pruritis
(12 per cent versus 1 per cent) were the most common adverse events,
but their significance was not published.
Notice-board p214 |
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