Depot extracts is an effective and safe method of treating allergies

Is depot extracts immunotherapy the gold standard in the treatment of insect venom allergy? Is it safe for the patient?

Depot extracts are preparations that release very slowly after subcutaneous injection, hence their name. They are very safe. We are talking about all types of allergens: insect venoms, but also inhalants for patients allergic to house dust mites, animal hair, animal skin, and pollen from grasses and trees. When it comes to insect venom allergies, we have two medications. One is dissolved in water and the other is a depot. And it is precisely the slowly released depot preparations that are extremely safe and in most European countries they are the standard for use in open treatment (in an allergist's office, outpatient clinics).

In which European countries is venom immunotherapy used in AOS and why in Poland so far only desensitization is carried out in hospital conditions? What does desensitization of outpatients look like?

In all countries, outpatient desensitization is a greater proportion of patients. There is always a small group of patients who require desensitization in the hospital. These are patients with severe symptoms or who experienced side effects when trying to desensitize. It is with these people that we would like to have greater certainty and resources for possible support of the intensive care unit. However, this only applies to selected patients and there is no need for this type of in-hospital desensitization for everyone.

Outpatient desensitization consists in administering an allergen preparation which contains an appropriately prepared and adjusted to the patient amount of the substance to which the patient is allergic. We prepare it according to proven safety and effectiveness schemes. Usually, we administer the preparation in the initial phase at weekly intervals, followed by maintenance doses at intervals of 4 to 8 weeks. In selected cases, this can be accelerated by administering aqueous preparations in the hospital with several injections during one day. The purpose of this procedure is to activate our immune response, which is to induce tolerance to the allergen. Healthy people have these active mechanisms so that they do not develop allergic diseases. We have been administering allergens to patients for 100 years, so that by using the right regimens, we activate mechanisms that have been ineffective so far. It is a very natural and effective method of restoring the proper functioning of the immune system.

Now is the time for the ministry to make a reimbursement decision on depot venoms before the next insect season begins?

In our climate, we currently have the so-called winter break. This is the best time to initiate desensitization in patients who need it. It has been proven that when insects begin to fly, there are the most severe allergic reactions. Therefore, we should not hesitate to start desensitizing already in the autumn and winter period, so that in the spring, when the insects appear, the patients had already activated the tolerance mechanism.

Source: Medexpress