World Allergy Organization Publishes 2013 Update of Sublingual Immunotherapy Position Paper
Milwaukee, WI, USA (PRWEB) April 11, 2014 -- Delivery of immunotherapy by the sublingual route (SLIT) continues to be used in clinical practice in many European countries, and studies are underway in the United States. The World Allergy Organization (WAO) published the first position paper on sublingual immunotherapy in 2009 to identify the indications, contraindications, and practical aspects of the treatment.[1] WAO has now completed and published the 2013 update of the position paper.[2]
The paper presents guidelines for sublingual immunotherapy based on the World Health Organization (WHO) model of recommendations. In addition, the document defines unmet needs as identified by analysis of recent and ongoing clinical trials in sublingual immunotherapy, and it makes recommendations for the methodology of future clinical trials worldwide.
Chairpersons Giorgio Walter Canonica, MD, Linda Cox, MD, and Ruby Pawankar, MD, PhD, led a panel of 24 authors internationally known for their expertise in sublingual immunotherapy research and clinical practice. To further ensure a global scope to the project, WAO invited its regional, national, and affiliate member societies to participate in the development of the 2009 document as well as the 2013 update.
“Recognizing the need to update the 2009 position paper with the new developments and recommendations in the field and because of its growing importance for physicians, scientists, regulatory bodies and most importantly patients, WAO embarked upon the 2013 update,” said Professor Pawankar, WAO Past- President.
“The core document for consultation will remain the 2009 article, ‘Sublingual Immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization Position Paper 2009,’” said Professor Canonica, who also led the 2009 position paper. “The new article is a condensed update of ten previous chapters with the addition of new chapters on emerging issues: Practical Aspects, Perspectives and Novel Approaches, and Raising Public Awareness of Sublingual Immunotherapy. The updated chapters contain new evidences corroborated by references and revised content based on new data.”
“With the continuing emergence of the science and utility of sublingual immunotherapy, this update from the World Allergy Organization will provide an important touchstone for our current understanding of sublingual immunotherapy as it moves forward. The group who has worked on this project over the past years should be commended for the excellence of this document,” said Lanny Rosenwasser, MD, WAO President.
1. Canonica GW, Bousquet J, Casale T, Lockey RF, Baena-Cagnani CE, Pawankar R, Potter PC et al. Sub-Lingual immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization position paper 2009. World Allergy Organization Journal 2009; 2:233-281. (doi:10.1097/WOX.0b013e3181c6c379) Access at: http://www.waojournal.org/content/2/11/233.
2. Canonica GW, Cox L, Pawankar R, Baena-Cagnani CE, Blaiss M, Bonini S, Bousquet J et al. Sublingual immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization position paper 2013 update. World Allergy Organization Journal 2014; 7:6 (doi: 10.1186/1939-4551-7-6) Access at: http://www.waojournal.org/content/7/1/6.
About the World Allergy Organization
The World Allergy Organization (WAO) is an international alliance of 95 regional and national allergy, asthma, and immunology societies. Through collaboration with its Member Societies WAO provides a wide range of educational and outreach programs, symposia and lectureships to allergists/immunologists around the world and conducts initiatives related to clinical practice, service provision, and physical training in order to better understand and address the challenges facing allergists/immunologists worldwide. (http://www.worldallergy.org)
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Sofia Dorsano, Director of Publications, Education & Communications, +1 (414) 276-1791, [email protected]
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