Grass-pollen Tablet Launched To Treat Severe Hay Fever In Children

Main Category: Allergy
Also Included In: Ear, Nose and Throat;  Regulatory Affairs / Drug Approvals
Article Date: 24 Feb 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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Grazax®, a grass-pollen allergen tablet, has been launched for use in children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 by Allergy Company ALK-Abelló. Grazax is the only non-injection immunotherapy licensed to treat children suffering from severe hay fever caused by grass pollen allergy.

Grazax has been available for use in adults in the UK since January 2007. It's a once daily, fast-melting tablet which is placed under the tongue. Traditionally, immunotherapy has been given by injection but the tablet formulation is more convenient and easier to use.

Immunotherapy or desensitisation involves treatment with small doses of a highly purified allergen extract (such as grass pollen) which builds up immunity and enables the patient to tolerate higher levels of the allergen. This helps to reduce and even prevent allergic reactions. Unlike traditional hay fever treatments the Grazax tablet works to both control symptoms and tackle the actual cause of the allergy1,2. It is recommended for use in children with severe hay fever symptoms that remain uncontrolled despite trying traditional treatments such as antihistamines and nasal sprays.

The benefits of Grazax have been demonstrated through a number of clinical studies. Children taking Grazax as well as traditional therapies, such as antihistamines and nasal steroids, experienced a 27% reduction in hay fever symptoms during the peak grass pollen season, compared to those only taking the traditional treatments3. Also, when children took Grazax along with traditional treatments they were able to reduce the use of these other medications by 64% during the peak grass pollen season3.

The peak hay fever season tends to coincide with examination time and adolescents with hay fever symptoms are 40% more likely to drop a grade between their mock and final GCSE exams compared to those with no symptoms4. Uncontrolled symptoms can also affect sleep, general school performance and social activities5.

Thomas Allen aged 10 from Gloucestershire suffers from severe hay fever. At school on high pollen count days Thomas found it difficult to take part in class, as the discomfort in his eyes would often result in poor visibility making him unable to see the information on the board or write clearly in his books. As a result Thomas was regularly sent home to continue his school work. Thanks to immunotherapy Thomas's quality of life has dramatically improved. He explains, "I was only sent home from school once during the last hay fever season and I can now join in with sports and games that I couldn't before, so I'm much happier".

Dr Adam Fox, Consultant Paediatric Allergist, London commented on the launch of Grazax for children "Grazax gives us the opportunity to treat the root cause of our patients' allergy, rather than trying to just manage their symptoms and this makes today's launch an extremely important event for UK paediatricians and their patients."

Anyone who is affected by symptoms of hay fever that can't be controlled by traditional treatments should consult their GP for further advice.

References:

1. Malling HJ et al. Safety and immunological changes during sublingual immunotherapy with standardized quality grass allergen tablets. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2006;16(3):162-168.

2. Durham SR et al. Sublingual immunotherapy with once-daily grass allergen tablets: A randomized controlled trial in seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.J Allergy Clin Immunol 2006; 117:802-809.

3. GRAZAX Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at http://emc.medicines.org.uk 4. Walker SM et al. Seasonal allergic rhinitis is associated with a detrimental effect on examination performance in United Kingdom teenagers: Case-control study. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007; 120:381-387.

5. Passalaque G et al. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2007;18; 40-45.

About ALK-Abello

ALK-Abelló is a research-based pharmaceutical company and a world leader in allergen specific immunotherapy with more than 80 years of experience in allergy treatment and diagnostics. Headquartered in Hørsholm, Denmark the company employs more than 1,200 employees worldwide.

ALK-Abello

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