Odactra - Under the Tongue Immunotherapy for Dust Mite Allergy

Website for Odactra The FDA formally approved Odactra , the fourth new sublingual allergy tablet to be sold in the United States that works the same way  allergy shots  do... but instead is dissolved  under the tongue  at home instead of a shot in the arm in a medical office. Odactra is specifically used in the treatment of dust mite allergy. The other sublingual immunotherapy tablets currently available include: • Ragwitek used to treat ragweed. •  Oralair  and  Grastek  are two o…

5/31/2018 0

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Video Showing How Allergy Vials are Made for Allergy Shots

Our office has created a new video showing how allergy vials are made for patients undergoing allergy shots . Check it out! There are essentially 3 steps: Step 1: Create graded dilutions of all allergic items (i.e., cats, dogs, trees, grasses, ragweed, etc). This is called the allergy board. Step 2: Based on allergy test results , the actual serum used to inject into patients is made. The more severe the allergy, the more dilute the initial concentration used. The more mild the al…

8/08/2017 0

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Allergy Cure from Toothpaste Immunotherapy?

Image by Thegreenj in Wikipedia An innovative company has developed a toothpaste that can potentially cure allergies in the same way that allergy shots and allergy drops do. The toothpaste is called Allerdent and is made by Allovate . The company sells the toothpaste "base" to which an allergist can mix antigens such as tree pollen, ragweed, cat, dog, etc. The allergy composition of the toothpaste can be customized to a patient's allergy test results. The antigens are a…

7/28/2016 0

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FDA Approves Ragwitek... Ragweed Allergy Tablet by Mouth (Instead of Allergy Shots)

The FDA formally approved Ragwitek, the third new sublingual allergy tablet to be sold in the United States this year that works the same way  allergy shots  do... but instead is dissolved  under the tongue  at home instead of a shot in the arm in a medical office. Ragwitek is the first sublingual allergy tablet to treat ragweed. Although Oralair and Grastek are two other sublingual tablets that have already been approved by the FDA, they treat grass allergies rather than ragweed. Ragwi…

4/18/2014 0

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FDA Approves Grastek... Grass Allergy Tablet by Mouth (Instead of Allergy Shots)

Today, the FDA formally approved Grastek, the second new sublingual allergy tablet to be sold in the United States that works the same way  allergy shots  do... but instead is dissolved  under the tongue  at home instead of a shot in the arm in a medical office. Although this tablet has been available in Europe for some time, only now has sale/distribution in the United States been allowed under prescription. Just 2 weeks ago, FDA approved Oralair which also treats grass allergies. Grast…

4/16/2014 0

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FDA Approves Oralair... Grass Allergy Tablet by Mouth (Instead of Allergy Shots)

Today, the FDA formally approved Oralair, the first new sublingual allergy tablet to be sold in the United States that works the same way  allergy shots  do... but instead is dissolved under the tongue at home instead of a shot in the arm in a medical office. Although this tablet has been available in Europe for some time, only now has sale/distribution in the United States been allowed under prescription. Oralair is made by a French pharmaceutical company  Stallergenes  ( Greer is US dis…

4/02/2014 0

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New Ragweed Under the Tongue Pill Instead of Allergy Shots Recommended by FDA Panel

Yesterday, the FDA Allergenic Products Advisory Committee supported approval for a new sublingual allergy tablets (Ragwitek) that work the same way  allergy shots  do... but instead is dissolved under the tongue at home instead of a shot in the arm in a medical office. Given this is only a panel recommendation, final "official" FDA approval may not occur for another year or so for sale/distribution under prescription in the United States. Ragwitek is made by  ALK-Abello  and  Me…

1/29/2014 0

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Two New Sublingual Allergy Tablets Approved by FDA Advisory Committee

This week, the FDA Allergenic Products Advisory Committee unanimously supported approval for two new sublingual allergy tablets (Oralair and Grastek) that work the same way allergy shots do... but instead is dissolved under the tongue at home instead of a shot in the arm in a medical office. Although both tablets have been available in Europe for some time, final "official" FDA approval may not occur until end of 2014 (or later) for sale/distribution under prescription in the Unite…

12/13/2013 0

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Pill Rather than Allergy Shots for Ragweed

If all goes well, in 2013 there will be a pill a patient can take rather than allergy shots to tone down the immune response to not only grasses ( Grazax ), but also ragweed. The active ingredient in this ragweed pill is Ambrosia artemisifolia, the chemical found within ragweed that causes allergy symptoms. Phase III trials with this pill taken once/day for 52 weeks conducted by Merck show a significant improvement in allergy symptoms by nearly 25%. Use of allergy medications like anti-h…

3/04/2012 0

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Possible Novel Cure for Cat Allergy?

A research team in Canada has developed a possible cure for patients suffering from cat allergy using a novel type of allergy shot called peptide immunotherapy. To understand the significance of this development, one needs to understand how traditional allergy shots are made. Currently, allergy companies purify a protein called Fel d1 from cats and make a vial out of it. This purification process is like removing the corn kernels from a cornstalk to put into a can to sell at the supermark…

4/01/2011 0

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Home Allergy Shots

DISCLAIMER: This post is not meant to condone or promote allergy shots to be given at home. It is meant to promote discussion and make patients aware of the issues involved. Allergy shots , unlike medications like claritin and flonase , offer patients with significant allergies a way to potentially be cured of their misery without the need for daily medication use. However, there is a small, but substantial risk for anaphylaxis and even death with allergy shot administration. After all, a…

3/20/2011 0

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Bottles / Vials for Allergy Drops (Under Tongue) Immunotherapy

We have received a number of requests of where one can obtain allergy vials for use in SLIT (sub-lingual immunotherapy) whereby a drop is placed under the tongue to try and achieve allergy cure. This mode of treatment is an alternative to the more traditional allergy shots . Our office provides both modes of immunotherapy. Regarding the allergy vials themselves, you can obtain them from Edge Pharmaceuticals. They offer a number of different vial types as shown in the picture. They …

1/24/2011 0

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Migraine Headaches Associated with Allergies & Response to Allergy Shots

A recent study published this month in the journal Headache reported an association of migraine headaches with allergy severity and response to allergy shots ... but only in those less than 45 years of age. The study suggested that lower "degrees of atopy" (or allergy) were associated with less frequent and disabling migraine headaches in younger subjects while higher degrees were associated with more frequent migraines. The administration of allergy shots was associated with a…

1/22/2011 0

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Can A Person Have Allergies Even if Allergy Testing Comes Back Negative?

YES!!! But how can that be?!! Well, here is the simplified answer. When allergy testing is performed whether by skin prick or blood testing ( RAST ), one is testing to certain specific proteins known to cause allergic reactions in majority but not all patients (these are called major allergen). Patients need to remember that for a given allergy like CAT (or tree, mold, dust, etc)... there are millions of proteins (minor allergen) that have the potential to cause an allergic reaction in peo…

12/09/2010 0

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Allergy Shots in Britain Require a LONG Waiting Period Afterwards

I recently heard that one reason why allergy shots  are rare in England (and why sublingual "under-the-tongue" drops aka SLIT , are so common) is that British patients are required to wait under observation for anaphylaxis as long as ONE HOUR after each and every injection!!! In fact, initially the waiting period was as long as TWO HOURS when the British Committee for Safety of Medicines became alarmed with some deaths that followed allergy injections in 1986. Subsequently, the safe…

11/08/2010 0

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There are TWO Different Allergy Shot Systems (AAAAI and AAOA)

When it comes to allergy shots, many folks are not aware that there are TWO very different allergy shot protocols available in the United States. The largest allergy shot system available is by the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) . The physicians who use this protocol come by way of internal medicine training. The other allergy shot system (which is the protocol we use in our office) is available by way of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA) . The p…

9/21/2010 0

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New Webpage on How to Give Allergy Shots Properly

A new webpage has been created describing how to administer allergy shots correctly. Often, patients are not able to get their weekly injections at the allergy office and as such, have their shots given at a more conveniently located medical office. However, many medical offices are not completely familiar with how to give allergy shots since it is administered differently than most vaccines. Incorrect administration increases the risk of anaphylaxis which everyone wants to avoid. This webp…

2/28/2008 0

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