Skin patch to relieve hay fever symptoms all day long
ASTick- on patch for hay fever could relieve symptoms all day long. The patch, which is changed daily, contains a drug called emestadine, a medicine that’s already used in tablet form to soothe sneezing and runny noses, as well as in drops for watery, red eyes.
The drug works by blocking the release of histamine — a chemical produced by cells as part of the allergic response to pollen.
The idea is that delivering it through the skin would make it more effective, as it allows the drug to seep into the bloodstream at a constant level.
This keeps symptoms under control throughout the day.
Around 13 million people in the Uk have hay fever, caused by pollen, a fine powder released by plants.
in those affected, the body mistakes harmless pollen as a threat and so pumps out high levels of the chemical histamine to try to rid it of the perceived threat. it is this response, rather than the pollen itself, that causes the symptoms of hay fever.
These can include a runny nose, itchy eyes and even asthma attacks brought on by inflammation in the airways triggered by the histamine.
Most people who have hay fever rely on over-the- counter antihistamine tablets.
But part of the problem is that in tablet form, the active drug is delivered all in one go.
THIS means that, after a few hours, the effects wear off and symptoms start to worsen again. now, a Japanese firm has developed a 24-hour patch that delivers the antihistamine emestadine to the bloodstream constantly.
Delivering medicines through a skin patch is often preferable for treating a chronic condition — such as hay fever — because it means less of the active drug is needed, as it won’t be broken down by the stomach.
The problem is that many drugs which can be easily absorbed in tablet form through the stomach and into the bloodstream are made of molecules that are too big to penetrate the skin in order to reach the blood vessels underneath.
now, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical has reformulated emestadine into smaller particles that can get through the skin. it then added the new formulation to a patch that is designed to release the drug at a constant rate throughout the day.
earlier this year, the results of a trial involving more than 1,200 people with hay fever were published in the journal Allergology international. Patients were given patches to stick to their skin once daily for two weeks.
The results showed the patch significantly reduced symptoms throughout the day.
The patch is currently in latestage trials and could be available in the Uk within three years.
Professor Anthony frew, a specialist in allergy and respiratory medicine at the Royal Sussex county Hospital in Brighton, said research shows the patch is just as effective as tablets, and could be a more convenient alternative for many patients.
He says: ‘essentially, this is a transdermal [through the skin] delivery system for antihistamines, which gets a good concentration into the body. its effectiveness is comparable to oral antihistamines, which is good.’
MeAnwHile, scientists at the University of Michigan in the U.S. may have developed a nasal vaccine that cures peanut allergies for life. in a study on mice, just three monthly doses of the nose spray protected them from reactions when they were subsequently given peanuts.
The researchers said it works by preventing the activation of immune cells that would initiate allergic reaction, reported the Journal of Allergy and clinical immunology. further studies are now planned.