Allergy shots for hayfever may become a thing of the past: a new treatment called Grazax might just win over those who hate needles.

Grazax is a prescription medication that has already been approved in Europe. It’s specifically targeted at hayfever and grass pollen allergies. Unlike traditional immunotherapy which requires a painful series of injections, Grazax is designed to dissolve under the tongue, delivering a small amount of grass-pollen extract to the tissues there.

This kind of treatment is called sublingual immunotherapy or SLIT. The tissues under the tongue absorb the pollen extract directly. This exposes the body to a small amount of allergen - exactly like traditional allergy shots do - but without the pain or inconvenience.

A new study of the Grazax treatment looks specifically at long term results with the treatment. The study shows that Grazax users had 25 per cent fewer symptoms than patients given a placebo, even after being off the medication for one year. They also required less of other allergy medications like antihistamines.

These long-term Grazax results were similar to the benefits that patients received when actively taking the treatment. The typical treatment course starts several months before an allergy season begins and continues for three full years.

While the pill is not yet approved in the US, a clinical trial which could lead to its approval is now underway.

Source: Reuters