Allergy Therapeutics enrolls 250 patients for grass pollen allergy trial

The headline data dose-setting trial for the vaccine, GrassMATAMPL, is anticipated at the end of the first half of this year. The results of that will lead on to a US phase III study.

GrassMATAMPL is an ultra-short course subcutaneous allergen specific immunotherapy (SCIT) administered before the grass pollen season.

Allergy said the product design enables for an effective cumulative dose to be attained in about six weeks, preventing the continuous administration required by conventional subcutaneous injectable treatments.

For the first time, the dosing study will utilize two mobile environmental exposure chambers.

Located in Cincinnati and in New Jersey Shore, the chambers are inflatable laboratories that allow patients to be exposed to a constant concentration of pollen for periods of three hours over four consecutive days.

The labs will allow the study to be undertaken outside of the grass pollen season, the company said.

Allergy Therapeutics research & development director Tim Higenbottam said: "We are confident that the results will build on the previous positive data for our MATAMPL studies and, combined with the commercial success of Pollinex Quattro in Europe, this will prepare the ground for entry in to the high value US market.

"GrassMATAMPL has the potential to become the best in class ultra-short course SCIT in the US market and we look forward to reporting headline data at the end of the first half of 2016."

Allergy vaccines are generally used to treat the most common allergies, especially conditions like hay fever or house-dust mite allergy.