Open trial of recombinant Der f 2 pullulan‐conjugated immunotherapy in cats

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundAllermmune HDM (Zenoaq) is a recombinant Dermatophagoides farinae 2 (Der f 2) pullulan‐based immunotherapy vaccine whose efficacy on house dust mite allergic dogs has been demonstrated. There is no published information on its use in cats.ObjectivesThe objective of the study was to evaluate the safety and short‐term effects of Allermmune HDM in Dermatophagoides farinae (Df)‐sensitised cats.Materials and MethodsEleven cats diagnosed with atopic skin syndrome received Allermmune weekly for six weeks then monthly for three months (total duration 18 weeks). On Weeks 0, 6 and 18 clinical lesions were assessed by the Feline Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (FEDESI); owners assessed pruritus with a 10‐cm Visual Analog Scale (pVAS). Concurrent medication use was recorded. The allergen‐specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E were measured before study inclusion with a commercial serological assay.ResultsThere were no evident adverse effects. FEDESI and pVAS improved significantly after six weeks (p = 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively). The pretreatment Df‐specific IgE levels were significantly higher in the cats with improved clinical scores than in the cats with no clinical score change (p = 0.009).Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceAllermmune HDM may be safe in cats and has the potential to alleviate signs of atopic skin syndrome. Allergen‐specific IgE levels may represent an efficacy marker. Controlled studies of longer duration and larger sample size are worth pursuing.