Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is used in Europe and other countries, but is still not being used in the US. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says that there are still unanswered questions on the treatment’s effectiveness, use, dosage and safety. Apparently, US research studies have not yet shown patient improvements that will result in FDA approval.

The primary benefit of SLIT over other forms of immunotherapy is the lack of a needle. Traditional immunotherapy is commonly called “allergy shots” and that means a trip to the doctor’s office and the discomfort of the injection itself. SLIT is administered under the tongue, rather than injected. This makes the therapy much more attractive for most patients who can skip the doctor’s office and administer the treatment themselves.

In addition, European results indicate that SLIT is safer than injections. However, the effectiveness of the treatment can also be less than shots. Injections produce benefits to the patient that are long-term, as symptoms are reduced even after treatment has been stopped. SLIT shows good symptom reduction in some cases but results appear to wane about 3 years after treatment has ceased.

Allergists also point out that allergy shots have been thoroughly tested. Effective dose ranges are firmly established. This is not the case for SLIT.

Another issue for US doctors is the fact that SLIT is patient administered. This means detailed instructions to patients on everything from taking the treatment to dealing with potential adverse reactions or dosing interruptions.

Patients with multiple environmental allergies may find that SLIT does not work at all. Some studies show no reduction in symptoms or medication use when there are multiple allergies with overlapping “seasons”. SLIT also doesn’t provide the same benefits for all environmental allergies. For instance, it is less effective for dust mite allergy and ragweed according to current research.

SLIT resembles allergy shots in some ways. Both treatments appear to reduce the individual’s tendency to develop new allergies.

Source: Newswise