Tag: Marek Jutel

Company News: Immunology Data Further Underline the Positive Outcome of a Phase IIb Trial of Anergis´ Birch Pollen Allergy Vaccine AllerT

– Treatment with AllerT increases allergen-specific IgG4 antibody levels by a factor of 20

– AllerT administration produces humoral immune responses similar to conventional desensitization

Anergis, a company focusing on proprietary allergy vaccines, today reported immunology data from the Phase IIb study of its lead compound AllerT. In the trial, AllerT induced a strong increase of allergen-specific IgG4, a key marker of immunological responses typically observed in successful, conventional allergy immunotherapy (AIT, previously known as allergen-specific immunotherapy, or SIT). In September 2013, Anergis had reported that the trial showed significant clinical effects of AllerT on multiple efficacy endpoints, including combined symptom and medication scores assessed daily throughout the natural birch pollen season 2013.

In the placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial, a total of 240 patients from 24 European trial centers were randomized to receive 5 pre-seasonal injections of AllerT 50 μg, AllerT 100 μg, or placebo over a period of 2 months between November 2012 and March 2013.

Allergen-specific IgG4 antibody blood levels were similar in all three groups before treatment. Four weeks after completion of treatment and prior to the birch pollen season, the IgG4 levels were markedly and similarly increased in both AllerT dose groups by a factor of about 20 compared to baseline and to placebo (all tests p < 0.0001). During the subsequent birch pollen season, the IgG4 levels remained similarly elevated in both dose groups, showing that a plateau of IgG4 had been reached. By contrast, IgG4 levels remained unchanged in the placebo group during treatment and during the pollen season.

Anergis’ COP (Contiguous Overlapping Peptide) technology can be applied to a broad spectrum of allergy indications. At present, Anergis is developing AllerT for the treatment of birch pollen allergy, AllerR for ragweed pollen allergies and AllerDM for dust mite allergies.