Scientists Discover New Treatment for Hay Fever and Other Allergies

Have allergies? There may be a new treatment on the horizon. Researchers have successfully tested treatments for people with allergies to grasses and to dust mites. The findings could give patients relief from itchy eyes, dripping noses and the other symptoms associated with allergies.

Millions of people suffer from what is commonly known as hay fever or dust mite allergies. These allergies can significantly impact patients' productivity while they're at school or work. In fact, it's estimated that together, these allergens are responsible for more than 50 percent of allergic respiratory disease. That's why researchers decided to focus on treatments for these allergies.

The new class of therapy that the researchers used is known as "synthetic peptide immune-regulatory epitopes," or SPIREs. In this case, the researchers conducted a phase two clinical trial for the grass allergy treatment with 280 patients. The volunteers recorded their allergy symptoms while exposed to grass pollen in a controlled environment, both before treatment and at the end of the hay fever season. These participants received one of three treatment regimens. In the end, the researchers found that those who had the optimal short course of therapy had significantly improved symptoms at the end of the season compared to those who had a placebo.

That's not all, though. The researchers also conducted a clinical trial for the dust mite treatment with 172 patients. These people received treatment over 12 weeks and had significantly improved allergy symptoms a year after the starts of treatment.

"This result is an important validation of the approach we are taking to treat allergic diseases," said Mark Larche, who led the design of the treatments, in a news release. "Positive results, first with a cat allergy therapy and now with house dust mite and grass allergy treatments, suggest that this approach may be used for many common allergies."

The findings could be huge for people with allergies. In addition, these treatments provide new hope for patients in the future. It could herald a new wave of drugs that could help combat allergies.