General Articles

Traditional immunotherapy for severe grass-pollen hay fever involves a three-year course of up to 50 injections, and these are done in hospital as they can cause an allergic reaction. Researchers are now investigating a new sort of immunotherapy that simply involves dissolving a grass-pollen tablet (Grazax) under the tongue each day for four months before grass starts flowering in May. Studies in Canada and Europe show that this can reduce symptoms by up to 30 percent,and the need for medication by 38 percent. The makers hope to get a European licence sometime later at 2006.