Ultra-short course immunotherapy in children and adolescents during a 3-yrs post-marketing surveillance study

Ultra-short course immunotherapy (uSCIT) has shown good efficacy and tolerability in children and adolescents with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR), conjunctivitis and/or asthma in clinical studies. Here, we investigate the efficacy of uSCIT in the juvenile subpopulation of a 3-year post-marketing surveillance (PMS) study. To assess the differences in the efficacy of uSCIT between adults and children respectively adolescents enrolled in a PMS study. In a prospective open study 422 patients aged 6-18 years with SAR, conjunctivitis and/or asthma received four pre-seasonal injections with pollen allergoids formulated with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL, Pollinex (R) Quattro) over a minimum of 3 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated by response to therapy and consumption of anti-allergic medication during the pollen season. Tolerability was evaluated by patients' acceptance of therapy. These results were compared with the adult subpopulation of this study. Response to treatment was assessed as good or very good in 94% of patients, mirroring findings for the entire cohort. Further improvements were noted in patients receiving subsequent courses of therapy. Antiallergic medication use decreased from 83% to 24% of patients after the first treatment course (p < 0.0001). Therapy was well accepted by children/adolescents and considered 'very good' or 'good' by 93% of juveniles. No serious adverse events or cases of anaphylaxis were reported. This subanalysis indicated that uSCIT with Pollinex Quattro had similar efficacy and tolerability in children/adolescents and adults. The convenient dosing regimen and favourable safety profile of uSCIT may support a wider uptake of uSCIT in this patient population.