New York, Nov. 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A recent article in the peer-reviewed journal International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology reported the results of a survey offered to individuals with allergic rhinitis. Sarita S. Ballakur MD, et al, conducted a one-time, real world survey assessing patient satisfaction of adults with prescribed allergy immunotherapy (IT) via their chosen delivery method -- either Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT), also known as “allergy shots,” Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) using liquid drops, or Oral Mucosal Immunotherapy (OMIT) using a specially designed toothpaste delivery system. Individuals who began their therapy between 2014 and 2019 were enrolled in the survey.
“Our survey clearly demonstrated that satisfaction with allergy IT is high for all three groups (SCIT, SLIT and OMIT), and they would recommend it to others,” said Sarita S. Ballakur, MD, from Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York. “Overall, 85 percent of the study participants found allergy IT either extremely helpful, very helpful or somewhat helpful. SCIT was 80 percent, SLIT was 81 percent and OMIT was 100 percent,” she added.
Of the 79 participants in the study, 33% chose SCIT, 43% chose SLIT and 24% chose OMIT. Almost half of the participants in the study have already completed their full course of IT.
“This study is very exciting and reveals not only the value of IT across all delivery platforms, but also highlights the importance of providing individuals the ability to choose from a wider range of allergy immunotherapy options to suit their lifestyle,” said William Reisacher, MD, a co-author on the study, Otolaryngologist and Director of Allergy Services at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and an Advisor to Allovate. “A significant number of participants in the SCIT and SLIT groups found the therapy not helpful (20% and 18%, respectively), compared to 0% in the OMIT group. OMIT patients were also more adherent - in terms of fewer interruptions in therapy - than either SLIT or SCIT,” he added.
The results of this study are significant as we move closer to a post-COVID-19 world. SCIT has been the gold standard for allergy immunotherapy for decades, but people now have more choices. SLIT and OMIT can be administered at home, eliminating the need for frequent doctor visits for shots. OMIT may also have an advantage in adherence since it is integrated into an individual’s existing daily tooth brushing routine.
“During this global COVID-19 pandemic, many allergy patients are required to stay at home, reducing their ability to visit physicians’ offices for allergy treatments, such as allergy shots,” said Robert Pomrenke, CEO, Allovate. “We hope that results from this survey will help patients become aware of their options, particularly of Allerdent®,our OMIT toothpaste.”
About Oral Mucosal Immunotherapy (OMIT)
Respiratory allergies affect at least sixty million people in the United States, resulting in 11.1 million visits to the doctor in 2010. One hundred million Europeans suffer from allergic rhinitis and seventy million suffer from asthma. Symptomatic treatment, at a global cost of over $25 billion yearly, keeps symptoms at bay temporarily but does not offer a long-term solution. Allergen-specific immunotherapy is the only treatment method that targets the root cause of allergies, consistently exposing the allergy sufferer's immune system to sufficient amounts of allergenic proteins to desensitize them to allergens over time. Oral mucosal immunotherapy (OMIT) uses a proprietary, specially formulated toothpaste to incorporate and stabilize allergenic proteins that are administered while users brush their teeth. OMIT simplifies long-term daily adherence to immunotherapy for patients, while delivering key agents to broad areas of the oral cavity, including those with the highest density of the immune cells responsible for effecting immunotherapy.
About Allovate Therapeutics
Allovate Therapeutics (www.allovate.com) is a New York-based biotechnology company founded in 2012 with the goal of improving allergy treatment for all patients. Allovate’s mission is dedicated to improving the delivery of medical therapy. Allovate’s lead product, Allerdent®, is designed to deliver proteins, such as immunotherapeutic agents, to the immune system while the user brushes their teeth. Allovate’s licensee, Intrommune Therapeutics, is exploring allergy immunotherapy for life-threatening food allergies.
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