Hay fever vaccine just three years away, say scientists

A VACCINE against hay fever could be ready within three years after human trials showed it drastically reduced symptoms.

Scientists from the Medical University of Vienna said results were so encouraging that they “dared” to hope that sufferers would be cured of the condition once they had received several booster jabs.

Up to 18 million people in Britain suffer from hay fever, with symptoms ranging from sneezing, an itchy throat and running eyes to wheezing and severe shortness of breath when exacerbated by asthma.

The new phase 2 trial showed the vaccine for grass pollen reduced symptoms by at least 25 per cent over two years, and unpublished results also showed reductions of up to 60 per cent in some people.

Dr Rudolf Valenta, who led the vaccine development, said: “In the last study, still unpublished, we reach up to 60 per cent for certain patients after one year of treatment. It is likely that we can make them symptomfree after longer treatment.

“The planned schedule is five pre-seasonal injections before the pollen season of the first year and one daily refreshment every year.”

They believe the vaccine could be tweaked to fight against dust mite allergy, birch pollen, ragweed, and even help people who are allergic to cats. Asked whether the vaccine could be considered a cure, Dr Valenta added: “I dare to say that. More important, our next step will be preventive vaccination.”

The trial involved 180 patients who suffered from grass pollen allergy. Two-thirds were given different levels of the vaccine, while one third acted as a placebo group.

The patients were given four injections in the first year and a booster jab in the second year. Sufferers’ symptoms were reduced by at least 25 per cent and some up to 41 per cent.

“The more severely the allergy sufferer is affected by grass pollen, the greater the beneficial effect following vaccination,” said Verena Niederberger-leppin from Meduni Vienna’s Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, the study’s lead author.

The trial results were published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. A phase 3 study and child vaccination study is scheduled to start in 2019, with general approval for the vaccine expected by 2021.