Hope for hay fever vaccine pill

One in four people suffer from hay fever

A medication which almost completely cuts the symptoms of hay fever has raised hopes that a vaccine in pill form can be made for the condition.

Grazax is currently available on prescription as a treatment for the symptoms of the pollen allergy.

A four-year international study has shown it has "disease modifying" effects, which means people can develop an immunity to the condition.

The study was led by Professor Stephen Durham, of Imperial College London.

Patients were given either Grazax or placebo tablets for three years. Symptoms among Grazax users were later shown to be significantly reduced.

Significant benefit

Professor Durham, head of the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College, said: "The fact that patients continued to experience less nose and eye symptoms and an improved quality of life in the following grass pollen season one year after they had completed the course of treatment with Grazax clearly shows the disease modifying effect of this tablet.

"It could be an effective vaccine."

Grazax is a form of immunotherapy containing an extract of timothy grass, and is known to be effective against all forms of grass pollen that cause hay fever in Europe.

Effectively, the body is given the chance to build up a tolerance to the protein which triggers hay fever symptoms by being exposed to tiny amounts of it in the pill.

Grass pollen immunotherapy by injection has been shown to have a long-term impact, reducing symptoms in patients for at least three years after they stop taking them.

It is hoped that Grazax could achieve something similar but in pill form.