Allergy Therapeutics eyes 2020 start for hay fever inoculation trials

Commercial biotechnology company Allergy Therapeutics will kick off phase III trials of its short-course inoculation for grass pollen-induced hay fever in the second half of 2020 following a successful round of meetings with German and American regulatory bodies.

Allergy told investors on Thursday that insights gained from recent clinical work will also be incorporated into its latest batch of tests, which will be overseen by both the US Food and Drug Administration and Garmany's Paul Ehrlich Institut.

Chief executive Manuel Llobet said: "This product has the potential to become a much-needed treatment option for the estimated 25-30% of the EU and US populations who are allergic to grass pollen1, and we believe that the PQ Grass trial will enable us to demonstrate the efficacy of this short-course grass pollen immunotherapy."

Elsewhere, a readout from Allergy's recent phase I clinical assessment of its Acarovac dust mite allergy drug was set to arrive later in the quarter, while a manufacturing scale-up of its Polyvac peanut product was also said to be progressing well ahead of a first-in-human study.

As of 1000 BST, Allergy shares had picked up 1.55% to 9.80p.