A new allergy treatment may dramatically reduce the required number of injections to alleviate symptoms. Allergy sufferers may have something to celebrate in a few years if a new treatment for allergies continues to produce the kind of results it has in an ongoing clinical trial at Johns Hopkins run by Peter Creticos, M.D., associate professor of medicine. “We think this is the most exciting advance since immunotherapy, popularly known as allergy shots, was developed in the first half of the last century,” says Creticos. “Now we hope it will be possible for therapy to be safer, easier and more effective than anything we’ve used in the past.” The new anti-allergy immunotherapy, known as AIC, consists of six shots over a course of six weeks and uses an entirely novel method to induce tolerance. Immune system-boosting molecules are attached to Amb 1 a, the major protein found in ragweed that induces allergic symptoms. Clinical trial participants who were given the injections prior to the 2001 ragweed season reported dramatically reduced allergy symptoms and a reduced need for medications to control them. “We observed minimal allergy symptoms among patients who received the vaccine,” says Creticos. “Even more remarkable is the fact that we asked these same patients to continue to keep a diary of their allergy symptoms and medications through the next ragweed season. Although no additional injections were given, their clinical improvement was observed to persist even through the second year.” Currently, evaluation for possible allergies involves a medical history, physical exam and skin tests to ascertain specific allergies (such as to trees, grasses or weeds). If a decision is made to place the person on allergy shots, this requires both a “build-up” phase of one to two injections each week for three to four months and then one or two maintenance injections each month for four to five years. This clearly requires a serious commitment to a long-term course of treatment by the individual. “The potential for AIC to deliver effective therapy with a short six-week injection regimen is a major breakthrough that should improve compliance and convenience for millions of allergy sufferers,” states Creticos. Furthermore, with conventional therapy, success is not assured. Allergies to new materials can develop, tolerance can break down, and some people may find themselves reaching once again for medications to control their symptoms. These medications, of course, are not without their problems. Many people complain that allergy medications make them drowsy, and some of them are quite expensive. Creticos’ research group still needs to determine whether this new experimental vaccine’s induction of tolerance to ragweed will also extend to other allergens, such as cat dander or dust mites. A critical next step will be to evaluate the vaccine in the treatment of allergic asthma. The hope is that this treatment will revolutionize allergy management in the foreseeable future. Last Updated: 5/1/2003
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