Immunotherapy

Welcome to the newest edition of Allergy Focus, an e-newsletter created exclusively for healthcare professionals by Allergy UK. In this issue, we turn our attention the beneficial form of allergy management, immunotherapy.

Many healthcare professionals will have heard about immunotherapy with advances in immunology and understanding of the immune system moving ahead at pace. However, the immunotherapy that is used in Allergy is not so well talked about or understood by the vast majority of HCPs, unless they have either specialised in the field of Allergy or have a special interest in this area.

Allergy is a chronic condition with no current cure, so management can be very challenging for those affected by allergy. Although there is much research now in this field, especially in the area of food allergy, it is just the tip of the iceberg in what needs to be done. Allergy UK’s vision is that no one should die of Allergy, but sadly we still see this. Advances in research and science mean that in some instances there can be treatments for allergic conditions that are not confined to symptomatic relief alone. These change the immunological pathway that can cause the symptoms, so over time the immune system ‘dampens down’ the response. Immunotherapy is one of these treatments, with access to this treatment improving but still not optimal, compared to rest of Europe. Allergy UK is dedicating this issue to immunotherapy to improve healthcare professionals’ knowledge on the treatment. This month’s Allergy Focus provides up to date information on immunotherapy along with how and where it can be used to improve patient outcomes.

Warm regards,

Amena Warner
Head of Clinical Services, Allergy UK