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Allergic rhinitis affects nearly one quarter of people in westernized countries. Treatment consists of allergen avoidance, pharmacotherapy, and specific subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). Only SCIT has a disease-modifying effect, but it carries the burden of several years of injections and possible systemic reactions. The regulatory agencies in several European countries have approved sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) preparations, including a freeze-dried 5-grass-pollen tablet (Oralair).
In an industry-sponsored, randomized study, 633 European patients were treated for 3 years with placebo or SLIT therapy starting either 2 months before or 4 months before — and continuing through — the grass-pollen season. Mean symptom scores in the active-tr…