Allergy Related Articles

Americans spent $11 billion on doctors’ bills, prescription drugs, and other medical care to relieve allergy symptoms such as itchy or watery eyes, stuffy noses, wheezing, coughing, and headaches in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The cost is nearly double the $6 billion spent in 2000.
AHRQ’s analysis looked at spending on allergies, such as hay fever and other allergies caused plant pollens, dust, or dander such as animal hair.
AHRQ’s data indicated that:
– In 2005, about 22 million Americans reported visiting a doctor, obtaining a prescription drug, being hospitalized, getting home care or experiencing allergy symptoms.
– Visits to doctors’ office and hospital outpatient departments for allergies care accounted for $4 billion. Generic propecia pills no prescription The remaining roughly $7 billion was spent mostly on prescription drugs.
– Between 2000 and 2005, average annual spending on treatment of allergies jumped from $350 per person to $520 per person.
AHRQ, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, works to enhance the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care in the United States. The data in this AHRQ News and Numbers summary are taken from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a detailed source of information on the health services used by Americans, the frequency with which they are used, the cost of those services, and how they are paid.
For more information, go to Allergic Rhinitis: Trends in Use and Expenditures, 2000 and 2005 (PDF).

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Morria Biopharmaceuticals Plc, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the
development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs, today announced that it has
initiated a Phase II equivalent study of MRX-4, in a nasal aerosol
formulation, in 105 patients suffering from allergic rhinitis (AR). The
two-arm, randomized, multi-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
includes Rhinocort(R) as the steroid comparator arm. The study is expected to
be completed by the end of Buy soma pills Q3 2008.
The study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy
of intranasal MRX-4 in AR patients outside of the local allergy season as
compared with both placebo and an intranasal steroid. An experimental
multi-functional anti-inflammatory drug (MFAID), MRX-4 is a non-steroidal
potential treatment for AR that has generated promising pre-clinical efficacy
data. In a Phase I equivalent trial completed in Israel earlier this year, it
was shown to be well tolerated with no clinical significant adverse effects.
"We are excited about the opportunity to evaluate the safety and efficacy
of MRX-4 in a multi-dose trial for treating allergic rhinitis," said Mark
Cohen, chairman of the board of Morria. "MRX-4 could provide unique,
non-steroidal, first-choice drug treatment for allergic rhinitis."
According to Dr. Yuval Cohen, Morria’s president, it is rare for a
first-in-man efficacy study in AR (phase II) to include a steroid comparator
arm. "Most companies prefer waiting until they have generated substantial
clinical efficacy data comparing their drug to a placebo before venturing to
compare it to a standard market treatment, such as a nasal corticosteroid.
Our decision to include the steroid comparator arm so early in our clinical
development is a combination of our confidence in MRX-4’s performance as well
as the creativity of our clinical team in streamlining and maximizing the
efficacy of our clinical development program. We believe that this will
substantially increase the value of this data."
About Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis is a common condition that affects nearly 59 million
people in the United States (nearly 20 percent of the population) with a
market of close to US$4 billion. Allergic rhinitis is characterized by
inflammation of the nasal membranes accompanied by symptoms that may include
sneezing, nasal congestion, nasal itching and rhinorrhea.
About Morria Biopharmaceuticals Plc
Morria Biopharmaceuticals Plc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on
the development of novel anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals termed
multi-functional anti-inflammatory drugs (MFAIDs). This class of drugs
uniquely combines two promising approaches to preventing and reversing
inflammation: first, they control the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) enzyme family,
a known, but previously elusive anti-inflammatory drug target. At the same
time, they also protect cells and tissues against inflammatory damage. Morria
is determined to become a pivotal player in the US$20 billion
anti-inflammatory drug market by developing and commercializing novel drugs
for acute pulmonary and gastro-intestinal inflammatory diseases.
Morria Biopharmaceuticals Plc
View drug information on Rhinocort Aqua Nasal Spray.
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New research findings suggest that some food-allergic children may not be equipped with enough potentially life-saving medication to reverse a severe allergic reaction.
According to research to be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, a second dose of epinephrine - the drug of choice for treating severe allergic reactions - was needed in nearly 1-of-5 cases of food-induced anaphylaxis in children.
Nearly all patients who required multiple doses of epinephrine also suffered from asthma.
Though further studies are needed, these findings point to asthma as a risk factor for severe anaphylaxis and could influence how epinephrine is prescribed to children.
Many children and adults at risk of severe allergic reactions are currently advised to carry only a single epinephrine auto-injector, which is administered when a severe reaction occurs.
In her study article, lead author Kirsi M. J?¤rvinen, MD, PhD, writes that "the recommendation to carry two doses of epinephrine should as minimum be extended to individuals with asthma and significant food allergies."
J?¤rvinen and colleagues from Mount Sinai School of Medicine studied the histories of 413 food-allergic children. They identified 78 patients who had received epinephrine to treat a total of 95 anaphylactic reactions. Parents of the children were asked to recall the suspected food trigger, how rapidly symptoms developed and the timing of treatment.
Of the 95 reactions treated with epinephrine, a second dose of the medication was administered in 19 percent of cases (18 patients). A third dose was required in 6 percent of cases (6 cases).
Of those who received multiple doses, all but one (94 percent) were also diagnosed with asthma.
Buy generic soma In a surprise finding, the survey results also indicated that many children did not receive epinephrine, despite past severe reactions. While 51 percent of total patients studied reported a past history of anaphylactic symptoms, only 20 percent had ever used epinephrine.
Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can affect the cardiovascular, respiratory or gastrointestinal systems of the body. An estimated 100-150 people in the United States die each year from anaphylaxis, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). Anaphylaxis is most commonly caused by allergic reactions to food, insect stings and medication.
Food allergies affect 3 million American children, including 1 in 17 children under the age of 3, according to the AAAAI. Additionally, about 9 million children in the United States have asthma.
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology is the official scientific journal of the AAAAI.
The AAAAI represents allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic disease. The AAAAI is the largest professional medical organization dedicated to the allergy/immunology specialty. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has nearly 6,500 members in the United State, Canada and 60 other countries. The AAAAI promotes public education of allergy and asthma through its Web site,
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
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For the first time, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have identified genetic components of dendritic cells that are key to asthma and allergy-related immune response malfunction. Targeting these elements could result in more effective drugs to treat allergic disorders and asthma, according to a study reported in the May edition of the journal Nature Medicine.
Dendritic cells are vital to immune response in that they recognize, capture and introduce threatening organisms to T lymphocytes-other immune cells that secrete potent proteins called cytokines that surround and destroy the invaders. However, the Pittsburgh team’s study goes further to illuminate a pathway that allergens use to act directly on dendritic cells to propel differentiation into the T lymphocytes that fight back.
"We now have identified a molecule, c-Kit, that is central to the process of allergic response," said Anuradha Ray, Ph.D., co-corresponding author and professor of medicine and immunology in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "We show that genes encoding for c-Kit and the cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) are significantly activated when allergens are present, but c-Kit is the very first molecule that gets triggered."
Interactions between viruses and bacteria and molecular steps that initiate the immune defense have remained largely unknown. Using cells cultured from c-Kit mutant mice, Dr. Ray, her husband and co-corresponding author Prabir Ray, Ph.D., and their colleagues studied molecular reactions to assaults by cholera toxin and a standard allergen, house dust mites. In addition to c-Kit and IL-6, they found effects on stem cell factor and Jagged-2-immune system molecules that are parts of the activation process.
"We have known the T-cell side of the story for many years, and we know that dendritic cells are important, but what we did not know was how the dendritic cell does what it does," said Dr. Prabir Ray. "Therapy directed against c-Kit specifically on dendritic cells using compounds coupled to c-Kit inhibitors such as Gleevec, a drug that is already FDA-approved and used in cancer treatment, may alleviate allergic diseases and, potentially, inflammatory bowel disease."
Buy cialis without prescription The Pittsburgh team incubated dendritic cells with cholera toxin and house dust mite allergens, finding that both substances induced significant secretion of c-Kit and IL-6, initial steps in a cascade resulting in the activation of T helper cells.
"Dual upregulation of c-Kit and stem cell factor has been noted in some cancers, such as small cell lung cancer. IL-6 has been associated with cancers such as multiple myeloma," said Dr. Anuradha Ray. "Collectively, similar approaches to inhibit c-Kit, in addition to Gleevec or other inhibiting compounds could alleviate multiple cancers."
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has filed a patent application regarding the finding.
This study makes up the doctoral dissertation of first author Nandini Krishnamoorthy, a student in the Immunology Graduate Program, and was conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Prabir Ray, associate professor of medicine and immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
In addition to Drs. Ray and Krishnamoorthy, authors are Timothy Oriss, Ph.D., Melissa Paglia, B.S., Mingjian Fei, M.S., and Manohar Yarlagadda, M.S., all of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; and Bart Vanhaesebroeck, Ph.D., Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, London.
The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
View drug information on Gleevec.
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invivodata inc., the industry leader in electronic patient reported outcomes (ePRO) solutions and services for global clinical research, today announced that its DiaryPRO® field-based ePRO system was used to capture primary efficacy endpoint data in the recently unblinded Phase III study of Pollinex® Quattro, a vaccine being developed by Allergy Therapeutics® plc (AIM:AGY) to treat the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (SAR).
"Allergy Therapeutics has set a new standard in developing allergy vaccines," said Dr. Wolfgang Summa, vice president, Europe and Asia Pacific, at invivodata ltd. "We are very proud to have supported the largest controlled allergy vaccine study ever conducted in this patient population, once again demonstrating the value of our ePRO technology in large, international clinical trials."
invivodata designed a DiaryPRO solution for over 1,000 international trial subjects to use and over 90 investigative sites to administer. During the trial, investigative sites across the United States, Canada and Europe trained patients to use DiaryPRO in their native language. Patients then recorded the daily frequency and severity of allergy symptoms during the entire 2007 grass pollen season. Data collected with DiaryPRO supported the study’s primary efficacy endpoint, demonstrating that Pollinex Quattro has statistically significant clinical benefits over placebo. Allergy Therapeutics intends to use the results of this Phase III trial to support a marketing authorization application in the European Union.
"We are very pleased with the results of this landmark trial and the manner in which invivodata captured this critical data," said Dr. Jutta Amersdorffer, head of Clinical Operations & Pharmacovigilance at Allergy Therapeutics. "Their understanding of the complexities of international clinical trials and their flexibility in meeting our changing trial needs, including the addition of significantly more sites and patients during the recruitment phase, was critical to its success."
About invivodata inc.
invivodata combines behavioral science, information technology, and clinical research expertise to capture high-quality clinical trial data directly from patients. invivodata’s electronic Patient Reported Outcomes (ePRO) solutions, which are based on over 20 years of research, deliver reliable patient self-reported data by driving patient compliance with the protocol and eliminating recall biases that plague paper-based self-report data. invivodata’s solutions include comprehensive trial-support services that facilitate the collection of ePRO data, and web-based access to study data and operational reports that give researchers and sponsors visibility into study progress and improve trial efficiencies. invivodata’s solution has been used in more than 200 trials and is the industry-leading ePRO system in delivering primary efficacy data for FDA drug approvals. invivodata inc. is a privately held company with global headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pa., USA; its European headquarters is in London, England; and its technology development center is in Scotts Valley, Calif., USA. For more information visit
About Allergy Therapeutics
Allergy Therapeutics plc is a London Stock Exchange (AIM) listed specialist pharmaceutical company focused on allergy vaccination. It has a growing, profitable core business achieving sales of allergy vaccines of ??26 million in Germany, Italy, Spain and other EU markets through its own sales and marketing infrastructure. The Company is expanding its infrastructure and recently commenced operations in the United Kingdom, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria.
Allergy Therapeutics has certain exclusive intellectual property rights to the use of MPL in both injected and sublingual vaccines. Buy levitra pills In addition to progressing to Phase III studies with Pollinex Quattro, the Company has completed a Phase I/II oral vaccine study incorporating MPL.
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