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ALK-Abelló, making GRAZAX ®, Welcome GA2LEN New Hay Fever and Asthma Campaign

Hørsholm, Denmark (PRWeb) April 30, 2007

ALK-Abelló (http://www.alk-abello.com) today welcomed the information campaign from the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network, GA2LEN, entitled ‘What is Rhinitis lead to Asthma? “Launched last week at the Annual Conference of the network in London, UK.

campaign is based on scientific peer-reviewed publication of the appraisal committee GA2LEN and follow international guidelines on the management proposals Allergy Rhinitis and its impact on Asthma (ARIA).

ALK-Abelló

support the campaign goal of health professionals and patients should be aware of the relationship between rhinitis (also known as hay fever) and asthma and allergy march.

It is well known that a person suffering from allergies have an increased risk of developing more allergies and asthma – incidence of so-called “allergic march”. Allergic march describes the progress in the clinical manifestations of allergy, in this case the development of rhinoconjunctivitis to asthma.

Thus, some adults and children with one type of allergy, such as grass pollen (the most common), it will progress to more allergies and / or asthma later in life. Thus, the development of allergic diseases can be life-struggle.

International

Manual recommends treating allergies and keeping a watchful eye out on other symptoms associated with lower respiratory tract disease. While there are several modalities of treatment, symptomatic medications (eg antihistamines and local steroids) aim only temporarily control the symptoms of allergic diseases but does not cure the root causes of the disease.

Only

immunotherapy targets the underlying allergic disease, with the potential to produce long-term remission.

Several controlled clinical studies showed an added benefit of immunotherapy in treating asthma symptoms in patients suffering from allergic asthma, and in preventing the development of new allergies and asthma.

In particular, recent studies show that sublingual (under the tongue) immunotherapy for three years not only improve the symptoms of seasonal rhinitis but also reduce the development of seasonal asthma in children with fever.

Recently ALK-Abelló launched GRAZAX ®, the first allergy tablet that treats the cause of grass pollen allergy and not just the symptoms. It works like a vaccine to induce protective immune response, which reduces and potentially stop an allergic reaction to grass pollen.

While long-term studies are being conducted on GRAZAX ®, recently at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI 2007) congress, ALK-Abelló presented top-line results from the second year in a long-term treatment study with GRAZAX ®. In this study GRAZAX ® shows a significant success and progressive immunological changes over two years of continuous treatment. These results support the expectations of the progressive effects of long-term treatment with GRAZAX ® and the potential to stop the allergy march.

About GRAZAX ®

Grass pollen allergy is a health problem representing a significant social burden. At least 45 million people in Europe suffer from grass pollen allergy in allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or allergic asthma – or both.

majority of patients are offered only eliminate the symptoms, drugs that reduce symptoms temporarily but does not cure the allergy itself. In addition, 60-68% of patients using the medication eliminates the symptoms, assuming they are in the range of ‘not at all effective’ to ‘somewhat effective’ on individual symptoms, according to a survey conducted by the European Federation of Allergy and Airway Diseases Patients Associations (EFA ).

GRAZAX ® is, rapidly dissolving tablet once a day based allergy vaccine for patient home administration

efficacy and safety of GRAZAX ® has been documented in clinical research program ever conducted in allergy vaccination. Research shows, among other things, that the success of GRAZAX ® starts from the first day of the first grass pollen season under treatment, and that 82% of patients treated with GRAZAX ® feel ‘better’ or ‘better’ in the first treatment season compared with the previous season. More information can be found in http://www.GRAZAX.com.

About ALK-Abelló

ALK-Abelló
devoted to improving the lives of people with allergies by developing pharmaceutical products that target the cause of their allergic disease. ALK-Abelló is the world leader in the development of medical immunotherapy – a unique treatment that induces a protective immune response to prevent ongoing symptoms. Allergy immunotherapy is traditionally conducted as subcutaneous injections or sublingual droplets. ALK-Abelló aims to extend the use of immunotherapy by introducing convenient tablets for home treatment, so that more patients a causal allergy treatment offers. ALK-Abelló has more than 1,300 employees with subsidiaries, production facilities and distributors throughout the world. The company is headquartered in Hørsholm, Denmark and listed in Copenhagen Stock Exchange. More information can be found in http://www.alk-abello.com.

For more information, please contact:

Sharmi Albrechtsen, International Brand Communication Manager, ALK-Abelló Phone +45 45747555

Jacob Frische, Director, ALK-Abelló Group Communications Phone +45 45747551 or +45 22247551

GRAZAX ® is a trademark owned by ALK-Abelló A /

S.

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Washington, DC (PRWeb) May 3, 2007

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) today announced the launch of their “What My IgE?” campaign during May, National Asthma Awareness Month. This initiative is designed to educate the public about allergic asthma, raise awareness of IgE testing as a means of screening and motivate patients to speak with experts to improve the management of asthma.

Asthma affects approximately 20 million people in the United States. About 60 percent of patients with asthma have allergic asthma, asthma-type set off by allergens (eg, dust mites, pet hair, pollen, mold spores and cockroaches). People with allergic asthma may produce too much IgE (immunoglobulin E) when they are exposed to allergens.

“People are surprised to find that 60 percent of patients with asthma have allergic asthma, but the real shock is that only a small percentage of asthma patients are tested for allergies,” said Bill Storms, MD, allergy with The William Storms Allergy Clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “Because IgE is involved early in your body’s response to an allergen, reducing IgE may help prevent asthma symptoms and attacks before they start.”

According to Mike Tringale, director of external affairs at AAFA, IgE know someone can give patients the information they need to determine the most appropriate treatment with their asthma specialist.

“Patients with other chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or obesity, know that the key to long-term management is to know their number, whether it be blood sugar, blood pressure or body mass index,” said Tringale. “The campaign aims to create awareness of the IgE of patients with allergic asthma so they can talk with their experts to find a treatment plan that is right for them.”

As part of the “What’s My IgE?” campaign, AAFA offers free playback IgE for asthma patients began in May in select cities in the U.S. involving IgE play a simple blood test, similar to that done for playback of cholesterol or diabetes, and can be done within two minutes

.

AAFA also encourage patients with asthma campaign to visit his website, www.WhatsMyIgE.com. This online resource contains information about allergic asthma and IgE, including:

A downloadable “What’s My IgE?” brochure
Information about where to get an IgE at select locations throughout the U.S.
Assist patients in finding an asthma specialist in their area
Tool called a Doctor Discussion Guide – to help asthma patients communicate with their experts about the impact asthma has on their daily lives

“Every year in the United States, more than 1.9 million people with asthma is sent to the emergency room, and nearly 5,000 die from the condition, “said Dr. Storms. “Clearly, patients and specialists need to work together to determine the appropriate treatment plan. Knowing your IgE may represent a valuable first step in that process.”

About AAFA

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ® is the leading customers and non-profit patient organization fighting asthma and allergic diseases. AAFA provides free information to the public, offers educational programs to consumers and health professionals, leading advocacy efforts to improve patient care, and support research to find drugs.

“What’s My IgE?” supported by Genentech, Inc. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.

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