Ultra-short-course booster is effective in recurrent grass pollen-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis

Area of Science:

• Allergy and Immunology
• Immunotherapy
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC) patients often experience symptom recurrence post-allergen immunotherapy (AIT).
• A significant proportion of patients require ongoing management despite successful initial AIT.
• Recurrent symptoms impact quality of life and healthcare resource utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a preseasonal, ultra-short-course booster AIT.
• To assess the impact of booster AIT on symptom scores, medication use, and quality of life.
• To determine the safety and tolerability of booster AIT in patients with recurrent ARC.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, controlled, noninterventional study with two arms.
• Included patients aged ≥12 years with recurrent grass pollen-induced seasonal AR.
• Booster AIT group (n=56) received tyrosine-absorbed grass pollen allergoids with MPL®; control group (n=51) received symptomatic medication.

Main Results:

• Booster AIT significantly reduced the combined symptom and medication score (CSMS) by 38.4% (P<.01).
• More patients in the booster AIT group used no concomitant antiallergic medication.
• Improved health state and MiniRQLQ scores favored the booster AIT group; treatment was well tolerated.

Conclusions:

• Booster AIT using tyrosine-absorbed allergoids with MPL® effectively prevents symptom recurrence in grass pollen-induced ARC.
• This approach offers a viable strategy for managing long-term symptoms in AIT-treated patients.
• Booster AIT demonstrates a favorable benefit-risk profile for sustained symptom control.