Those who suffer from allergic reactions such as hay fever and thunderstorm asthma can benefit from a revolutionary new drug created by Australian scientists.
More than 4.6 million Australians suffer from hay fever, which is typically caused by an allergic reaction to outdoor or indoor allergens such as pollen and dust mites, and is typically at its worst in the spring.
The new daily tablet containing small amounts of grass pollen has been shown to retrain the body’s immune system to keep allergy sufferers from experiencing an allergic reaction.
Researchers from Melbourne’s Monash University discovered the revolutionary cure after performing a study on the effectiveness of the tablet for ryegrass pollen allergy sufferers.
Researchers have identified a new daily tablet that can protect against allergic reactions such as hay fever and thunderstorm asthma (stock image)
Professor Menno van Zelm, head of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Laboratory at Monash University, described the function of the tablet on 3AW.
“These tablets are administered sublingually for one to two minutes,” he explained. It is ingested in the mouth.
He stated that the’small amounts of grass pollen’ injected into the tablet ‘does not induce a severe reaction’ and is intended to retrain the immune system in order to protect allergy sufferers.
Once a day for the four months preceding pollen season, the pill must be taken.
However, while the treatment is effective for many patients, Professor van Zelm cautions that it may not work for everyone.
His Monash University team recruited 27 Victorians allergic to ryegrass pollen and experiencing seasonal rhino conjunctivitis symptoms at least once per week.
The cohort was separated into two groups, with one receiving daily sublingual tablets and the other receiving antihistamines.
Researchers from Melbourne’s Monash University (pictured) identified the therapy option after studying the tablet’s efficacy on a group of Victorians sensitive to ryegrass pollen.
The grass pollen-infused tablet retrains the immune system’s cells to provide protection (pictured, the research team observes a computer screen with test results)
It was found that 92% of individuals who took the medication for the four months preceding allergy season for three years in a row reported ongoing benefits.
According to Professor van Zelm, there were indications that those who took the pill were gaining “immunity” against their allergies.
Those who used antihistamines did not experience any modifications to their immune system cells.
The tablet created by the study team will be a prescription drug.