House dust mite SCIT reduces asthma risk and significantly improves long-term rhinitis and asthma control-A RWE study

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Allergology
• Pharmacovigilance

Background:

• German regulations (TAO) impact the house dust mite (HDM) allergen immunotherapy (AIT) market.
• Three HDM subcutaneous AIT (SCIT) products are approved in Germany, available post-TAO completion in 2026.
• Long-term clinical trial data for HDM AIT effectiveness is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a specific native HDM SCIT product using real-world data (RWD).
• Provide a per-product analysis of mite AIT effectiveness, aligning with international guidelines.
• Assess the impact of SCIT on allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma progression and onset.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, observational cohort study using a longitudinal claims database covering 60% of German statutory healthcare prescriptions.
• Included patients aged 5-70 receiving their first SCIT prescription (2009-2013) vs. a matched control group receiving only symptomatic AR medication.
• Follow-up period of up to 6 years, ending February 2017, analyzing AR and asthma medication prescriptions and asthma onset.

Main Results:

• SCIT group showed a significant reduction in AR medication (62.8%) and asthma medication (42.4%) prescriptions after 2 years.
• New-onset asthma risk was reduced by 27.0% in the SCIT group compared to the non-AIT group (p=0.0212).
• Asthma onset was delayed in the SCIT group, with preventive effects observed starting around 15 months post-treatment initiation.

Conclusions:

• This product-specific RWD analysis demonstrates long-term benefits of native HDM SCIT in patients aged 5-70.
• SCIT effectively reduces AR and asthma progression, with effects lasting up to 6 years post-treatment.
• A significantly reduced risk of asthma onset was observed, commencing after 15 months of SCIT.