News & Events

Hay fever trial could lead the way to a more effective, less invasive treatment

11 September 2012

A clinical trial which will test a potentially promising new vaccine for hay fever has just started, led by researchers at King's College London (KCL), in collaboration with Guy's Hospital, London.

The trial, which follows on from a study undertaken by scientists at Imperial College London and KCL, is supported by the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme, which is funded by the MRC and managed by the NIHR. It will examine how grass allergy and some hay fever symptoms can be switched off through a series of low dose allergen injections administered intradermally (into the upper layer of skin). At present, vaccines that use high doses of allergen are administered more frequently, and subcutaneously under the skin. Alternatively, the allergen is taken as a tablet or as a drop under the tongue.

Read the press release issued by KCL's Press Office

View the BBC news article