Sublingual Immunotherapy Effective in Treating Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis
Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), a method currently not approved by the FDA for treating allergic reactions, can be effective in treating asthma and allergic rhinitis, researchers found.
While dosing strategies and treatment duration will require further studies to develop, Sandra Lin, MD, of Johns Hopkins, and colleagues stated that SLIT –easier to administer than subcutaneous immunotherapy as it does not require injections– could be just as effective as approved methods.
By analyzing 63 studies including 5131 patients (1814 of which were children), researchers found that moderate evidence that SLIT improves clinical outcomes in asthma and rhinitis.
While local and systemic reactions were more common with SLIT than comparators, no anaphylaxis or death were reported in any of the trials.
“The overall evidence provides a moderate grade level of evidence to support the effectiveness of sublingual immunotherapy for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma, but high-quality studies are still needed to answer questions regarding optimal dosing strategies,” they concluded.
–Michael Potts
Reference
Lin S, Erekosima N, Kim J, Ramanathan M, Suarez-Cuervo C, Chelladurai Y, et al. Sublingual Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis and Asthma. JAMA. 2013;309(12):1278-1288. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.2049. Published March 27, 2013. Accessed March 27, 2013.
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