Allergy & Dermatology

ALK USA Immunotherapy Vaccines (SCIT)

 

For Australian & New Zealand medical professionals,
the latest information (as of 14/4/2010) on the availability and products of
ALK-Abello Sub-Lingual Immunotherapy Vaccines
can be obtained by viewing the relevant Restricted Access section of this website. 
To enter the Restricted Access section on ALK-Abello Sub-Lingual Immunotherapy Vaccines, click here.
To obtain your password for this Restricted Access Section, contact AMS.

ALK-Abello USA Injection Immunotherapy Vaccines

Most immunotherapy vaccines used in Australia are of the type called "Depot Vaccines" meaning that the allergenic substances (most usually proteins) are adsorbed to a matrix of (most usually) aluminium hydroxide (sometimes calcium phosphate). Therefore when the allergenic material is injected into the patient there is a slow release of the allergen off the matrix and into the patients blood system and presentation to the patient's immune system. Most commercially manufactured vaccines used in Australia and by most Allergists, are of this type.

The other two types of vaccine are known as "Aqueous" or "Glycerinated" Vaccines, whereby the allergenic material is suspended in either water or a 50% glycerin solution with water. When injected the allergenic material is much more rapidly released and becomes immunologically reactive in one large dose. This type of vaccine is commonly used in the United States of America and by some Australian Allergists who were trained in USA, or who were trained by USA-trained Doctors. 

Such Aqueous or Glyceriated Vaccines typically require more careful management by the Allergist compared to Depot type Vaccines, especially of the dose being administered. Also, greater consideration must be taken of concomittant natural exposure to the allergen (e.g. grass pollen in season).   Adverse reactions are more possible with Aqueous or Glycerinated Vaccines, compared to Depot Vaccines, for the above reasons.

One feature of using the Aqueous or Glycerinated Vaccines is that the individual Allergist will make up their own vaccines tailored to the individual clinical requirements of the patient, so often with a mix of different allergens and different concentrations in the same vaccine. That principle is not encouraged by non-USA based Allergists.

Therefore an Aqueous or Glycerinated Vaccine will typically contain several different allergens, often unrelated (such as grass pollens and/or tree pollens and/or weed pollens and/or Mite and/or Epithelia). This means that the concentration of the individual allergen may be just 20% or less of the total. This principle is not in accordance with the principle favoured by most non-USA Allergists that Immunotherapy shoudl be focussed on one or a few related allergens in order to achieve maximal clinical benefit.

However those Australian Allergists who use the USA-style Aqueous or Glycerinated Vaccines have mostly been practicising this style of Immunotherapy for decades and hundreds or thousands of patients, and so are very proficient at the diagnosis and management using Aqueous or Glycerinated Injection Vaccines.

More recently in USA there is an increasing usage and adoption of Alum-precipitated Vaccines, i.e. Depot, so similar to those used in commerical kits in Europe and Australia. HBowever in USA the individual Allergist still prefers to make up their own individualised allergenic solutions as Vaccines, rather than use read-made commercial kits.

One reason for the use of Aqueous or Glyceriinaed Vaccines is the cost of the materials used is considerably less than for the ready-made commercial kits of Depot Vaccines (though this doesn't necessarily translate to a much lower cost to the patient).

Another advantage is the very large range of different allergens that are maufactured in USA and so are available for treatment. For example Cattle Epithelium or Casuarina/Australian Pine are two allergens that are only available as Aqueous or Glycerinated Vaccines.

The Allergists will have a bank of different stock solutions of different allergens, with which he will make up the individual vaccines for the individual patients and in concentrations appropriate to the stage of their immunotherapy course of treatment.

In addition to the various stock solutions of allergens, the Allergist will also have an appropriate Diluent, either Albumin Saline with Phenol (HSA) or Normal Saline with Phenol (NSP). For more information on these Diluents see the website page on "Diluents for Aqueous Immunotherapy Vaccines".

ALK-Abello USA, the American branch of the world-wide company ALK-Abello, have a wide range of immunotherapy vaccines based on Aqueous or Glycerinated Allergenic Extracts, (and the more recently introduced USA Alum-precipitated allergenic extracts), plus the relevant Diluents.

These are available to USA-based Doctors as both Stock Solutions (ampoules of a single allergen at highest potency), and as Initial and Maintenance Treatment Sets of ready-diluted allergenic solutions. These Aqueous or Glyucerinated Injection Vaccines are available to other Allergists around the world (including Australia) as Initial and Maintenance Treatment Sets of ready-diluted allergenic solutions, made up for individual named patients, and comprising one or more allergens in various concentrations, according to the prescription of the treating Doctor.

For further information on the Vaccines manufactured by ALK-Abello USA see the website at  www.alk-abello-us.com.

For further information:

Steve Lee                                            
Allergy Division Manager                 
Mob: 0448-022855
Tel: 02-9882 3666
Fax: 02-9882 3999
E-mail: slee@amsl.com.au          

Last updated 27th April 2010