Development of allergen immunotherapy Tablet for Japanese cedar pollinosis

Abstract

Allergy immunotherapy (AIT) is a well-documented, safe, effective treatment option for respiratory allergic disease, including AR. It has been demonstrated that AIT can provide relief from clinical symptoms and that AIT has the potential to provide long-term post-treatment effect. Although the mechanism of AIT is not fully understood, it can actively modulate protective allergen-reactive pathways of the immune system and alter the natural course of disease. Unlike pharmacotherapy, AIT addresses the basic immunological mechanisms that are responsible for the development and persistence of allergic conditions. Currently two main routes of AIT administration are commonly available, subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). Both SCIT and SLIT are clinically effective, and SLIT is particularly well tolerated, with a lower risk of systemic allergic reactions compared with SCIT. In Japan, SLIT-tablets for treatment of house dust mite AR or Japanese cedar pollinosis, without any age limitation, have been developed, and SLIT-tablets are now the best-documented form of AIT. Here we introduce the development of a fast dissolving SLIT tablet (Zydis formulation) for treatment of Japanese cedar pollinosis.