Allergen avoidance and symptomatic treatments

Symptomatic drugs are often prescribed by physicians as first-line treatment to reduce the intensity of the symptoms and fight the inflammation caused by the allergy. However, despite their recognised efficacy on allergic reactions, symptomatic drugs do not treat the root cause of an allergy.

-       Allergen avoidance

Allergen avoidance is an essential step in managing allergies ^{(source: www.allergyuk.org last accessed on May 11, 2016)}.

Allergen avoidance involves taking adequate measures to reduce the allergenic agent from the environment in which we live and limit contact with it. This is the first step towards improving the symptoms of allergy.

-       Symptomatic drugs

Symptomatic drugs are effective and may reduce the severity of allergy symptoms, though these medications have no long-lasting effect when treatment is ended ^{(source: www.allergyuk.org last accessed on May 11, 2016; Bousquet J, et al. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) 2008. Allergy 2008;63(S86):8-160)}.

Symptomatic drugs are often prescribed by physicians as first-line treatment to reduce the intensity of the symptoms and fight the inflammation caused by the allergy.

However, despite their recognized efficacy on allergic reactions, symptomatic drugs do not treat the root cause of an allergy. Their effects last as long as they are taken but present no long-term benefits.

AIT (desensitisation)

AIT is the only therapeutic class capable of modifying the disease progression and potentially preventing the onset of the disease by inducing tolerance in the immune system.

Desensitisation, also known as allergen immunotherapy (AIT), uniquely alters the natural course of respiratory allergies. AIT is the only therapeutic class capable of modifying the disease progression and potentially preventing the onset of the disease by inducing tolerance in the immune system.

The current standard of care for respiratory allergies is insufficient for disease control and the burden of disease is significant. AIT uniquely alters the natural course of respiratory allergies.

AIT is the only therapeutic class capable of modifying the disease progression and potentially preventing the onset of the disease by inducing tolerance in the immune system ^{(source: Global Atlas of Allergy, EAACI 2014)}.

AIT is a targeted treatment which consists in gradually administering to the patient increasing doses of allergenic extracts, which will reduce the hyper-reactivity of the immune system and the inflammation which results from it.

AIT significantly reduces the symptoms of allergy and the use of symptomatic treatments. In addition, its effects are long lasting ^{(source: Jacobsen L. et al. Specific immunotherapy has long-term preventive effect of seasonal and perennial asthma: 10-year follow-up on the PAT study. Allergy. 2007 Aug;62(8):943-8)}.

AIT is intended for patients (from 5 years of age) with respiratory allergies and for whom symptomatic treatments are insufficient or not well tolerated.

Only an allergy specialist can prescribe an AIT treatment after an accurate diagnosis. To be effective in the long term, an AIT treatment can take between three to five years ^{(source: Marogna M. et al., Long-lasting effects of sublingual immunotherapy according to its duration : A 15-year study. J Allergy Clin Immunology, 2010)}.