France
Leading the way in the French allergen immunotherapy market
In a competitive landscape, Stallergenes Greer’s French operations continued to show strong growth throughout the year and consolidated leadership positions in the allergen immunotherapy market.
Leading the French allergen immunotherapy market
In 2021, Stallergenes Greer France further consolidated its leadership position in France (in terms of total market value and new patients within the allergy specialist space) with sustained commercial performances for Oralair®, Staloral® sublingual, and Hymenoptera venoms. The Group’s Staloral® Cat 300IR and Staloral® Blomia references, launched the prior year, gained strong ground and showed promise in a French market still affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The evolution of the sales force organisation to better support healthcare professionals in their daily practice contributed to the Group’s robust performance in the French market.
This trend of growth is expected to continue in 2022, in particular with the launch of three new products: Orylmyte®, the Group’s house dust mite allergen immunotherapy (AIT) tablet, Alustal®, the Group’s injectable AIT treatment and the novel connected device for Staloral® on the French market in the coming months.
A personalised approach
Stallergenes Greer is committed to engaging with all its stakeholders to better serve patients and the medical community.
Among the initiatives which illustrate this commitment is the launch of Staloral® Cat 300IR in France. Sensitisation to cat dander affects up to 67% of people with asthma and there is a strong link between asthma and allergies to cats1.
Because patient adherence to treatment is an important hurdle in the treatment journey, Stallergenes Greer also implemented a new personalised patient support service aimed at empowering patients undergoing AIT treatment. Once the allergen diagnosis and prescription have been made by the healthcare professional, patients who have accepted to be included in the service can be contacted by Stallergenes Greer's patient support services to obtain explanations, assistance and answers to any questions they may have regarding their treatment, or its administration. This new service is available for patients throughout their treatment to address potential adherence issues. Patient and healthcare professional satisfaction were evaluated during the pilot phase of the service and the first results are very promising.
Contributing to improving access to care
Stallergenes Greer’s commitment to patient care also encompasses the improvement of the care pathway for patients with allergies.
The increasing number of allergy sufferers highlights the importance of developing the care pathway and a multidisciplinary approach as the number of allergy practices in France is decreasing in certain regions.
Stallergenes Greer has, for example, been supporting SYFAL (the French association of allergists) in its endeavors to assist allergy specialists in opening their practice and optimising the efficiency of private practices.
Throughout the year Stallergenes Greer continued, via its Stall’Web online conferences, to foster dialogue with the allergy specialist community by sharing information, recommendations and scientific updates in the field of allergology.
Committed to addressing unmet medical needs
Allergy to cat dander is becoming increasingly common1 with 30.5% of patients who suffer from allergic rhinitis sensitised to cat dander2. Cat allergens are widespread allergens both in and outside the home where a cat has been present and their persistence can last for several months1,3. It is estimated that the prevalence of cat allergy in patients who have never had a cat in the home may be as high as 34%4.
Each year, more than two tonnes of cat hair are collected to ensure the production of 10,000 allergen desensitisation vials in sufficient concentration.
After collection and processing, the raw material is transported to the production site where it is analysed in accordance with European and French recommendations and its biological activity is measured. The large quantity of source material collected makes it possible to achieve the necessary allergen concentrations thanks to the implementation of adapted manufacturing processes.
Many months are required from the extraction of the source material to the availability of the finished products for patients. To ensure that Fel d 1 (the primary cat allergen) is present in allergenic preparations, it is measured throughout the manufacturing chain from raw material to finished product. The treatment and extraction processes implemented by the Group ensure batch reproducibility and stability of the allergenic extract.
1. Rancé F. Allergy to animal dander in children. Archives de pédiatrie (Paedeatric Archives). 2006; 13: 579-87. — 2. ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES). State of knowledge on the health impact of exposure of the general population to pollens in ambient air. Collective expertise report. January 2014. — 3. Lavaud F et al. Allergy to cat dander: the place of immunotherapy. French Review of Allergology 2013; 119-24. — 4. Davila I. Consensus document on dog and cat allergy. Allergy. 2018;73:1206-22.