Ginger Rogers
28th September 2006, 01:32 PM
"A JAB that cures hay fever is set to ease the misery of 12 million British sufferers.
The injection, which wipes out all symptoms including sneezes and itchy eyes, has been developed by scientists in Switzerland.
It produced NO side effects in its first clinical trial and could be widely available by 2011.
The boffins hope it could also combat other allergic conditions such as asthma, eczema and dust mite intolerance.
Ten patients with severe hay fever were given six injections over a month by Dr Wolfgang Renner and his team at a biotechnology lab in Zurich.
Their symptoms disappeared and they are still free of the condition one year on.
Dr Renner said: “The trial results were quite spectacular.”
*
The jab contains a harmless “fake” bacteria that tricks the body into thinking it has been invaded by a dangerous disease.
Immune systems go into overdrive to fight it off and no longer waste time on producing responses to “foreign bodies” such as pollen.
It is these responses that cause hay fever.
Muriel Simmons, head of the Allergy UK support group, said: “This is really good news for sufferers. It is still being tested but offers real hope.”
The injection, which wipes out all symptoms including sneezes and itchy eyes, has been developed by scientists in Switzerland.
It produced NO side effects in its first clinical trial and could be widely available by 2011.
The boffins hope it could also combat other allergic conditions such as asthma, eczema and dust mite intolerance.
Ten patients with severe hay fever were given six injections over a month by Dr Wolfgang Renner and his team at a biotechnology lab in Zurich.
Their symptoms disappeared and they are still free of the condition one year on.
Dr Renner said: “The trial results were quite spectacular.”
*
The jab contains a harmless “fake” bacteria that tricks the body into thinking it has been invaded by a dangerous disease.
Immune systems go into overdrive to fight it off and no longer waste time on producing responses to “foreign bodies” such as pollen.
It is these responses that cause hay fever.
Muriel Simmons, head of the Allergy UK support group, said: “This is really good news for sufferers. It is still being tested but offers real hope.”