Pollen News and Research

RSS

Improved lung function in patients with moderate asthma severity observed with investigational Tiotropium

Boehringer Ingelheim will present a pooled analysis of new data from the Phase 3 UniTinA-asthma® program at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress 2013 in Barcelona. The data from the individual MezzoTinA-asthma® Phase 3 studies (NCT01340209 and NCT00565266), from which the pooled data are derived, show the addition of tiotropium delivered via the Respimat® inhaler to medium-dose maintenance inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy (defined as 400-800 µg budesonide/day or equivalent) improved lung function and provided sustained bronchodilation over 24 hours in patients with moderate asthma and airflow limitation. Tiotropium is being investigated to determine the medicine’s efficacy in treating asthma patients and is not currently approved for this indication.

11 Sep 2013

Study highlights importance of doctors asking parents, children about asthma symptoms

The allergist's office might not be a child's favorite place to visit, but it is a place where they should be able to say how their asthma makes them feel. While children might rely on parents to tell their doctor about how they are feeling, according to a study released today, children should do most of the talking.

10 Jul 2013

Researchers use mobile application to improve asthma outcomes among minority adolescents

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL and The University of Illinois at Chicago are using the Internet and motivational multimedia coupled with positive reinforcement via a smartphone application to try to improve asthma outcomes among low-income, minority adolescents with asthma.

27 Jun 2013

Excessive intake of cola and honey can cause fainting and arrhythmia symptoms, shows study

Drinking excessive amounts of cola and eating honey made from the pollen of Rhododendrons can cause unusual syncope (fainting) and symptoms of arrhythmia, report two case studies presented as abstracts at the EHRA EUROPACE 2013 meeting, in Athens 23 to 26 June.

25 Jun 2013

Allergic rhinitis treatments: an interview with Dr Dermot Ryan, GP and allergy expert

Allergic rhinitis is most commonly recognized as hay fever in the United Kingdom and it is due to the impact of an allergen, in the case of hay fever a pollen, setting off an inflammatory response in the lungs, causing typical symptoms...

5 Jun 2013

Mintel reports that cold, flu and allergy remedies market increased 22% from 2007-12

With allergy season upon us, the remedies aisle in the drugstore is a familiar location for many Americans. Revealing just how many consumers are affected, more than one-third (36%) of Americans say they experience the misery of allergies and are in need of a cure from the sniffles and sneezes.

1 Jun 2013

EHRA EUROPACE 2013 to feature late breaking clinical trials

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear the results of cutting edge studies, and to learn about the new Guidelines which are likely to have a tremendous impact on the European health care system.

18 May 2013

FDA accepts Merck's BLA for investigational ragweed pollen sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablet

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the Biologics License Application for its investigational ragweed pollen (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablet has been accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

9 May 2013

Study investigates use of sublingual immunotherapy against ragweed allergy

An international team of researchers, led by physician-scientists at Johns Hopkins, reports that a once-daily tablet containing a high dose of a key ragweed pollen protein effectively blocks the runny noses, sneezes, nasal congestion and itchy eyes experienced by ragweed allergy sufferers.

8 May 2013

New report highlights factors that contribute to asthma

There is still no cure for asthma, so for 22 million people in the U.S., this chronic disease continues to be a daily burden no matter where they live. But it's not just air pollution they should be worried about. Factors such as pollen, secondhand smoke – even high rates of poverty, a large uninsured population or a high number of ER visits – can be critical signs that certain cities and states are worse for families with asthma. It is especially true for people with severe asthma.

7 May 2013

Oral drops provide a safe and effective alternative for allergy sufferers

Allergy shots are commonly used to treat children with severe environmental allergies and asthma, but under-the-tongue drops may offer yet another beneficial - and stick-free - option for pediatric allergy sufferers, according to a Johns Hopkins Children's Center review of existing scientific evidence.

6 May 2013

UAB expert offers simple strategies to tackle summer allergy season

Sneezing, wheezing and coughing are just some of the symptoms that seasonal allergies can stir up. One sinus expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham said despite a late spring, the summer allergy season will be strong.

29 Apr 2013

Pediatric allergist offers tips to protect kids from allergies during the spring

Spring is having a hard time deciding if it wants to be here this year. Still, for many allergy sufferers its presence is being felt. Allergies are extremely common with an estimated 50 million people in the United States suffering from them.

19 Apr 2013

Scientists working on pollen count map to warn hay fever sufferers

In future there could be precise, personal travel warnings for hay fever sufferers covering the whole of Europe. The pollen warning service of the MedUni Vienna is working on a pollen count map in order to be better able to warn hay fever sufferers.

18 Apr 2013

FDA accepts Merck's BLA for investigational Timothy grass pollen AIT

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the Biologics License Application for its investigational Timothy grass pollen (Phleum pratense) allergy immunotherapy tablet has been accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

28 Mar 2013

Oral drops are good for treating symptoms of allergies, allergic asthma in some people: Review

A scientific review of 63 published studies affirms that putting small amounts of purified grasses, ragweed, dust mites, pollen and mold, in liquid drops under the tongue is a safe and effective alternative to weekly injections of those allergens or the use of other medications, in treating symptoms of allergies and allergic asthma in some people.

27 Mar 2013

Scientists to engineer anti-allergy genetically modified apples

Scientists are trying to engineer apples so that the most widely consumed fruit in Europe no longer triggers allergic reactions.

20 Mar 2013

Gottlieb Allergy Count to officially begin on Mar. 18

The Gottlieb Allergy Count, reported by Joseph Leija, MD, will officially begin Monday, March 18, weeks earlier than the usual April 1 start date. For the past week, Dr.Leija has been monitoring the air daily in preparation.

12 Mar 2013

Researchers to present new results for Merck's allergy immunotherapy tablets at AAAAI meeting

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that researchers will present new data analyses of the safety and efficacy of the company's investigational allergy immunotherapy tablets (AITs) for ragweed pollen (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) and grass pollen (Phleum pratense) at the 2013 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting.

25 Feb 2013

Omalizumab fast, safe and well-tolerated in teens and adults with chronic spontaneous urticaria

An international team of researchers has found that a once-a-month, high-dose injection of a commonly used asthma drug is highly effective in treating teens and adults chronically afflicted with hives and severe, itchy rash. The drug, omalizumab, was tested on 323 people at 55 medical centers for whom standard antihistamine therapy failed to quell their underlying, allergy-like reaction, known as chronic idiopathic urticaria or chronic spontaneous urticaria.