ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., [Oct. 31, 2011] – How the advent of sublingual immunotherapy and other advances in allergen immunotherapy may alter allergy treatment in the U.S. were recently discussed by a panel of nationally recognized allergist experts.  The result is a new perspectives article published in the November issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

 

“2011 marked the 100th anniversary of immunotherapy and the release of the ACAAI’s third update of Practice Parameters for Immunotherapy,” said Dana V. Wallace, MD, ACAAI president, article co-author and associate clinical professor of medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “These milestones provided an excellent opportunity to review the parameter highlights and advances in treatment and create new credible resources for allergists, primary care physicians and other health care professionals.”

 

The perspectives article, podcasts and proceedings are based on the panel’s discussion at a recent Roundtable Forum on Immunotherapy.  Topics include:

• The latest standards of care in immunotherapy, including an overview of recently updated practice parameters;

• The status of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in the U.S. and how it compares with traditional subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT);
• Other delivery methods now available or on the horizon, including rush and cluster immunotherapy, intranasal, epicutaneous and intralymphatic immunotherapy, and needed research and unanswered questions; and
• How advances in allergen immunotherapy may change and challenge the practices of allergists and other physicians.

 

“These materials give practicing physicians a succinct overview of the latest research and developments in the field of immunotherapy, a convenient way to identify and access specific topics of interest and ‘listen in’ on the opinions and insights of top leaders in the field,” said Linda S. Cox, MD, article co-author, associate clinical professor of medicine, Nova  Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and immediate past chair, ACAAI Immunotherapy and Diagnostics Committee.

 

The Roundtable and resource materials were supported by a grant from Merck.  Dr. Wallace and Dr. Cox co-chaired the Roundtable with the following participants: David I. Bernstein, MD, professor of internal medicine and co-director of the allergy training program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and member, ACAAI Board of Regents; Michael S. Blaiss, MD, clinical professor of pediatrics and medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tenn.; Ira Finegold, MD, chief of allergy and director of the Cook Institute of Allergy, St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital and clinical professor of medicine, Columbia University, New York City and chairman, ACAAI Immunotherapy and Diagnostics Committee; Bobby Q. Lanier, MD, clinical professor of immunology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, and executive medical director, ACAAI; and Harold S. Nelson, MD, professor of medicine, National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver.

 Read more about changes in immunotherapy

About ACAAI

The ACAAI is a professional medical organization headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill., that promotes excellence in the practice of the subspecialty of allergy and immunology. The College, comprising more than 5,000 allergists-immunologists and related health care professionals, fosters a culture of collaboration and congeniality in which its members work together and with others toward the common goals of patient care, education, advocacy and research.  Learn more at www.acaai.org and www.allergyandasthmarelief.org.

Tags: ACAAI, allergies, allergy immunotherapy, allergy treatment, asthma, immunotherapy, new allergy treatments

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 9th, 2011 at 6:16 pm and is filed under Allergies, Asthma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

New Treatment for Allergy Sufferers Offers Relief Without Shots Allergy Drops Bring Flexibility and Comfort to Long-term Treatment Plans

(PRWEB) August 17, 2005

The feeling is all but disheartening. Anticipating the sting, the bruising and twenty minute wait afterwards to check for possible reactions. Dreading the moment when you will be called from the waiting room and into the doctor’s office where a waiting nurse pulls out a syringe, raises her eyebrows and smiles knowingly. It’s time for your weekly allergy shot.

This treatment is not unusual for many Americans suffering from allergies today. However, many patients are unknowingly wrong in thinking that these series of painful, ongoing allergy shots are their only option in the treatment and control of their allergy symptoms.

According to a study by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), more than 50 million Americans are afflicted with allergies including the most common case, chronic sinusitis. Affecting 16.3 percent of the US population, this allergy has long been thought to be treatable only by shots. However, after suffering for years from both allergies and the shots which provide their treatments, patients young and old are now discovering a method of relief unlike any other.

Physicians are now offering a method for providing relief from allergies without the inconveniences of shots and the hassle of making a trip to their physician’s office. An unknown treatment to many, allergy drops, also known as Sublingual Immunotherapy, are being used to treat allergies using standard serums common to allergy shots. Physicians are now able to provide their patients with a safe, painless means of allergy control from the convenience of the patient’s own home.

“This treatment really opens up new doors because it allows physicians to treat a patient’s allergies on the patient’s time schedule,” said Richard F. Herrscher, M.D. of AIRCare. “Patient costs may also be reduced because co-pays are not required for each visit, since the drops are given in a home environment.”

Allergy drops work just like allergy shots by giving the patient series of treatments to build up the body’s immune system over time. Allergy drops provide a safe alternative for a wide range of allergy suffers, as well as asthmatics.

“Sublingual drops are not new nor are they unusual,” said Herrscher who points to evidence of the drops use for many years throughout Europe. “Sublingual Immunotherapy is a long-awaited breath of fresh air in a world full of pollen and mold.

In Britain, allergy shots are virtually out of use, with Sublingual Immunotherapy replacing them as the prime treatment for allergies. Likewise, throughout Europe, studies show that a 42 percent reduction of allergy symptoms has been seen with a 43 percent reduction in use of medication while using this treatment.

Contact:

Britney Chambers

972-770-5085

britney@kulagroup.com

###

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