Allergy Experts Address Pivotal Questions in Treatment of Grass Pollen Allergy Sufferers

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, June 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

And highlight a decade of clinical evidence demonstrating long-term efficacy and tolerability of once-daily GRAZAX® SLIT-tablet at EAACI 2014

A group of eminent allergy and respiratory professors presented data specifically addressing numerous key questions within the allergy community concerning grass SLIT-tablets, with specific focus on GRAZAX®, for the treatment of grass pollen allergy. They cite 10 years of clinical evidence in more than 14,000 patients for GRAZAX® SLIT-tablet as a well-tolerated and effective treatment with a sustained long-term effect for grass pollen allergy, and have invited colleagues to re-evaluate the robustness and strength of GRAZAX® data given the number of suitable patient candidates for grass SLIT-tablets. GRAZAX® SLIT-tablet has been available in Europe since 2006, and became available in North America in February 2014.

Data presented today to physicians at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) congress showed that the ALK grass SLIT-tablet, GRAZAX®, is an efficacious treatment option for patients with clinically relevant symptoms to any of the temperate grasses. Indirect comparisons also demonstrated grass SLIT-tablets (sub-lingual immunotherapy) and grass SCIT (sub-cutaneous immunotherapy) are equally efficacious. Furthermore, grass SLIT-tablets have the benefit of being less invasive than SCIT, and convenient for patients to take in their own home rather than having to visit the hospital or doctor's office.

Importantly, data presented also support that the once-daily, fast dissolving GRAZAX® SLIT-tablets are documented to have sustained long-term effect during 3 years of treatment and 2 years post treatment, making it the only grass allergy immunotherapy tablet (AIT) with an authorised indication for disease-modifying treatment of grass pollen induced allergic rhinitis in adults and children.

"Compared with other therapies, GRAZAX® SLIT-tablets have demonstrated a favourable risk-to-benefit profile, both among children and adults," said Professor Ronald Dahl at Odense University Hospital. "Given what we've learned on the proven efficacy, tolerability and compliance of GRAZAX® SLIT-tablets, I encourage all allergists to ask 'are we translating this clinical evidence into clinical practice?' when treating grass pollen allergy patients."

When compared with other grass AIT modalities, grass SLIT-tablets are the only AIT class for which robust clinical benefit in children has been demonstrated. In fact, the clinical benefit for grass SLIT-tablets in children is comparable to that in adults after 1 year of treatment. Data also demonstrated the safety profile and fast dissolving formulation makes GRAZAX® SLIT-tablet especially suitable for use within the paediatric population (5 to 18 years of age).

Multiple sets of clinical data from the last 10 years were presented during the symposium specific to efficacy, safety, medication adherence and favourable tolerability profile in patients with concomitant controlled asthma, among other areas. Additionally, faculty discussed suitable patient candidates for GRAZAX® SLIT-tablets to effectively treat grass pollen allergic rhinitis.

ALK-Abelló A/S 

For further information please contact:

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About ALK 

ALK is a research-driven global pharmaceutical company focusing on allergy prevention, diagnosis and treatment. ALK is the world leader in allergy immunotherapy - a unique treatment of the underlying cause of allergy. The company has approximately 1,800 employees with subsidiaries, production facilities and distributors worldwide. ALK has entered into partnership agreements with Merck and Torii to commercialise sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablets in North America and Japan, respectively. The company is headquartered in Hørsholm, Denmark, and listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen. Find more information at http://www.alk.net.