(RxWiki News) Most people have a hard time saying no to cuddling with a kitten — unless it causes sneezing, itchy eyes and a runny nose. But those with allergies might have a more cat-friendly future.
Recent research suggests a new treatment could reduce symptoms for people with cat allergies.
"Ask your allergist about the best allergy treatment."
Deepen Patel, MD, with Cetero Research and Topstone Research in Canada, led the study to find out if a short course of a new cat allergy treatment could lessen allergic reactions to cats even a year after the treatment was finished.
The treatment they investigated was cat peptide antigen desensitization (Cat-PAD).
Cat-PAD (brand name ToleroMune), is a treatment thought to decrease allergic reactions to cats without triggering the release of histamines, which often cause side effects.
The researchers recruited 202 participants in Ontario, Canada, with a history of cat allergies. They were separated into three groups: two treatment and one placebo.
Before the treatment started, the participants went to the clinic to be exposed to cat allergens so they could record their nose and eye symptoms. Patients were given a score based on how severe their reactions were.
Over the next three months, patients received either four full Cat-PAD doses a month apart, eight lower doses two weeks apart or a placebo injection. Neither the researchers nor the participants knew which treatment was being used.
After the treatment was completed, they assessed their reactions to cat allergens again.
Then, one year after the start of the initial study, 89 patients came back to the clinic to record their allergic reactions while being exposed to cat allergens.
The use of Cat-PAD with four doses a month apart was slightly more effective than the eight mini-doses two weeks apart.
Using the larger monthly dose appeared to still be effective a year after the treatment.
The researchers concluded that one dose of Cat-PAD a month for six months was the most effective regimen. Improvement in allergy symptoms lasted for a year after the treatment.
The study was published online Sept. 17 in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
The research was funded by Adiga Life Sciences and Circassia, the manufacturer of ToleroMune.
The authors reported several potential conflicts of interest. Three authors worked for Cetero Research, and three were employed by Circassia Limited.
