In new data from a Phase III study in 345 children and adolescents (ages 5-17 years), patients with grass pollen allergic rhinoconjunctivitis treated with Merck's investigational sublingual grass (Phleum Pratense) allergy immunotherapy tablet (AIT) showed a 26 percent greater improvement in the total combined score (daily symptom score and daily medication score), compared to patients receiving placebo>
“This Phase III study is the first to evaluate AIT in children and adolescents with grass pollen allergies in North America.”
AIT is an investigational, dissolvable oral tablet that is designed to prevent allergy symptoms by inducing a protective immune response against allergies, thereby treating the underlying cause of the disease. Merck is investigating AIT for the treatment of grass pollen allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in both children and adults. AIT is currently approved in the European Union (EU) for children and adults (ages 5-65) with grass pollen allergy, marketed under the name GRAZAX® by ALK-Abello, which discovered and developed the product in the EU.
“Patients who received AIT experienced significant reductions in allergy symptoms and allergy medication use, the combined symptom scores evaluated in the study,” said Michael Blaiss, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics and medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tenn., and lead investigator for the study. “This Phase III study is the first to evaluate AIT in children and adolescents with grass pollen allergies in North America.”