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CYT003-QbG10 is an immunotherapeutic product in development for the treatment of allergy, asthma and atopic dermatitis. It consists of the ImmunodrugTM QbG10 which is comprised of the virus-like particle Qb filled with a synthetic immunostimulatory DNA sequence called G10. CYT003-QbG10 is designed to induce a potent Th1 type immune response in order to suppress an “allergic” Th2 type immune response. As initial clinical observations indicate, CYT003-QbG10 could thereby act by an allergen-independent mechanism of action so that it has potential as a causal and disease-modifying treatment for a broad range of different allergic diseases. CYT003-QbG10 is currently being studied in several clinical trials for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, asthma and atopic dermatitis.
About allergic diseases
Allergy as a whole is a multi-faceted disease and clinically manifests in various allergic disorders including allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis and food hypersensitivity. It is an exaggerated reaction by the patient’s immune system to a normally harmless substance such as various environmental proteins present in pollen, animal excrements, or food. According to the World Health Organization, more than 20% of the world population suffers from allergic diseases (WHO, 2002).
Seasonal allergic rhinitis due to grass pollen
(commonly known as hay fever) is very common and affects 15-20% of
the European population (WHO Europe, 2003). Three general
approaches are commonly being pursued to relieve the symptoms of
allergic diseases: avoidance of the allergen, prescription of
medication that targets disease symptoms, and conventional
immunotherapy, also known as desensitization. The latter is the
only disease-modifying treatment available, however, it is
applicable only for some defined allergies, is time-consuming (3-5
years) and inconvenient for the patients. T
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