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McDonell AL, Wahn U, Demuth D, et al. Allergy immunotherapy prescribing trends for grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis in Germany: a retrospective cohort analysis. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2015;11(1):19doi: 10.1186/s13223-015-0085-x.
McDonell, A. L., Wahn, U., Demuth, D., Richards, C., Hawes, C., Andreasen, J. N., & Allen-Ramey, F. (2015). Allergy immunotherapy prescribing trends for grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis in Germany: a retrospective cohort analysis. Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 11(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13223-015-0085-x
McDonell, Amanda L, et al. "Allergy immunotherapy prescribing trends for grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis in Germany: a retrospective cohort analysis." Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology vol. 11,1 (2015): 19. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13223-015-0085-x
McDonell AL, Wahn U, Demuth D, Richards C, Hawes C, Andreasen JN, Allen-Ramey F. Allergy immunotherapy prescribing trends for grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis in Germany: a retrospective cohort analysis. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2015 Jun 10;11(1):19. doi: 10.1186/s13223-015-0085-x. eCollection 2015. PMID: 26085832; PMCID: PMC4470112.
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Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2015 Jun 10;11(1):19. doi: 10.1186/s13223-015-0085-x. eCollection 2015.

Allergy immunotherapy prescribing trends for grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis in Germany: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Amanda L McDonell, Ulrich Wahn, Dirk Demuth, Catrina Richards, Charlie Hawes, Jakob Nørgaard Andreasen, Felicia Allen-Ramey

Affiliations

  1. Real-World Evidence Solutions and Health Economics & Outcomes Research, IMS Health, 210 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JY UK.
  2. Department for Pediatric Pneumology and Immunology, Charité Medical University, Berlin, Germany.
  3. Worked at IMS Health at time of study, Real-World Evidence Solutions and Health Economics & Outcomes Research, London, UK.
  4. Global Market Access, ALK-Abelló A/S, Hørsholm, Denmark.
  5. Global Health Outcomes, Merck & Co., West Point, PA 19486 USA.

PMID: 26085832 PMCID: PMC4470112 DOI: 10.1186/s13223-015-0085-x

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Allergy immunotherapy is an effective treatment for patients with allergic rhinitis whose symptoms are unresolved with pharmacotherapy. Allergy immunotherapy for grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis is available in three modalities: subcutaneous immunotherapy and sublingual immunotherapy as a tablet or drop. This study aimed to understand trends in allergy immunotherapy prescribing and practice patterns for grass allergies in adult and paediatric patients in Germany.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using IMS Disease Analyzer in Germany. Patients with an allergy immunotherapy prescription for grass pollen (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical [ATC] classification code V01AA02) from September 2005 to December 2012 were included in the study. General Practitioners (GPs), dermatologists, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)-specialists, paediatricians and pneumologists were included as the allergy immunotherapy prescribing physicians in the study. Descriptive analyses were conducted on patient characteristics at index and prescribing physician specialty; a test for trend was conducted for timing of initiation of first allergy immunotherapy prescription in each annual prescribing season.

RESULTS: Eighteen thousand eight hundred fifty eligible patients were identified during the study period. The majority of patients received subcutaneous immunotherapy; however, the proportion of patients receiving sublingual immunotherapy tablets increased from 8 % in 2006/2007 to 29 % in 2011/2012 (p < 0.001). Initiation of subcutaneous immunotherapy and Oralair® generally peaked during each prescribing year in two seasons (September-October and January) while GRAZAX® prescriptions peaked in autumn (September-October). ENT-specialists and dermatologists were the largest allergy immunotherapy prescribers in adults, while paediatricians and ENT-specialists were the largest prescribers of allergy immunotherapy in paediatric patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Subcutaneous immunotherapy remained the dominant allergy immunotherapy modality for grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis in Germany for adult and paediatric patients; however, there was a marked increase in proportion of patients receiving sublingual immunotherapy tablets from 2006/2007 to 2011/2012, after their introduction to the market in 2006. ENT-specialists, dermatologists and paediatricians were responsible for the majority of prescribing. The predominance of particular modalities within certain physician specialties likely reflects different treatment goals or needs.

Keywords: Allergens; Clinical immunology; Grass pollen allergy; Paediatrics; Rhinitis

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