Allergy Therapeutics’ development programme is designed to deliver product characteristics with improved safety profiles and reduced numbers of injections over the treatment period, resulting in well-accepted registered products likely to be prescribed by a higher percentage of physicians. The Pollinex product range has extensive clinical exposure with approximately 3.8 million course administered worldwide. The aim of allergy vaccination is to reduce allergy symptoms and the need for symptomatic medication use during periods of particularly high pollen count and ultimately to 'cure' the patient by modifying the disease state. Allergy vaccination is also known to act preventatively to protect against the advance of progressive allergic conditions that can often culminate in severe, life-threatening asthma. There are already studies supporting the use of allergy vaccination to prevent hay fever sufferers (patients that are already atopic) from developing asthma.1

Once the progressive asthmatic deterioration of the airways has commenced, allergy vaccination cannot reverse the damage: such patients will continue to require their inhaled steroids and bronchodilators. Allergy Therapeutics’ development strategy recognises the treatment options are often complementary.

Allergy Vaccination - Mode of Action

Allergy is thought to be caused by an imbalance between different parts of the immune system. The allergic reaction, which is characterised by inflammation and antibody production involves several cell types and many different immune mediators. When the body is challenged by foreign material, specialised cells called Helper T cells (Th cells) are responsible for guiding the immune response in the appropriate direction. Th1 and Th2 responses regulate each other with a high Th1 response being associated with low Th2 responses and vice versa. Allergy occurs when the body generates a Type I hypersensitive reaction against an otherwise innocuous substance (which is termed an allergen). This Th2 mediated reaction leads to the production of a large number of IgE antibodies against the allergen. These IgE antibodies coat mast cells located on the mucus membranes and in the skin. When these membrane bound IgE antibodies encounter the allergen they recognise, they activate the cell which then releases inflammatory factors such as histamine, resulting in the typical allergic symptoms of hay fever or asthma. The goal of allergy vaccination is to move the immune response away from the Th2 response back to the Th1 response. This involves chemically modifying allergens so that the body recognises them as Th1 inducers and including adjuvants in the vaccine formulation that either up-regulate Th1 or T regulatory responses.

1 Moeller et al. Pollen immunotherapy reduces the development of asthma in children with season rhinoconjunctivitis (the PAT study). J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002; 109:251-256

Allergy Therapeutics
Dominion Way
Worthing
West Sussex BN14 8SA
United Kingdom

Tel +44 (0)1903 844 700
Web: www.allergytherapeutics.com/