House dust mite allergy vaccine(Allergopharma GmbH & Co. KG)

Subcutaneous immunotherapy is an effective and safe treatment for allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma. Different symptom scores are used to evaluate the efficacy of subcutaneous immunotherapy in clinical trials.

A total of 58 allergic rhinitis patients sensitised to house dust mites, with or without mild asthma, were included. Symptom score, medication score, visual analogue scale score and quality of life were assessed before and after 6, 12 and 24 months of subcutaneous immunotherapy.

After two years of subcutaneous immunotherapy, asthma symptom scores nearly reached zero, whereas the scores remained higher for nasal symptoms. The changes in asthma symptom scores were markedly different (p < 0.05) and occurred faster than the changes in nasal symptom scores when compared between monosensitised and polysensitised groups. Significant reductions in visual analogue scale score and medication score were demonstrated after subcutaneous immunotherapy.

Two-year subcutaneous immunotherapy with house dust mite vaccine is an effective treatment for both monosensitised and polysensitised allergic patients. The changes in asthma symptom scores were markedly different and occurred quicker than the changes in nasal symptom scores in Chinese house dust mite allergic patients.

The efficacy and safety of subcutaneous immunotherapy with modified, high-dose, major allergen house dust mite extract is widely supported by double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. However, little is known regarding patient-perceived efficacy and satisfaction. An observational, retrospective, multicentre study in patients treated with Acaroid^® was conducted to assess the efficacy and degree of satisfaction of the patients after the first six months of treatment with it. All the clinical study procedures were performed according to the routine clinical practice. This study demonstrates that Acaroid^® is effective and well tolerated. The patients' condition demonstrated a clear and marked improvement in the first 6 months after treatment initiation. Patients treated with Acaroid^® were very satisfied, with a correlation to improvement in patient-perceived symptoms and the administration of treatment by a healthcare professional.