Allergy Therapeutics PLC (AIM:AGY, OTC:AGYTF) said it dosed its first patient in a phase III trial for a new grass pollen vaccine, while screening is underway for a safety trial of its peanut allergy jab.
Grass MATA MPL, Allergy’s six-jab allergen-specific immunotherapy hay fever candidate, aims to address the cause of symptoms of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis due to grass pollen, while VLP is a pioneering treatment for peanut and potentially other nut allergies.
Topline safety and efficacy data from the Grass Mata trial is expected in the fourth quarter of 2023, with 120 centres across the US and Europe involved.
If successful, Grass Mata will be the first subcutaneous and aluminium-free short-course allergy immunotherapy approved in the US, said Allergy Therapeutics.
Safety, tolerability and efficacy data for VLP peanut is also expected in 2023.
The company added it is still reviewing its financing options after halting production of its existing hay fever range earlier in the year as it reviewed its operating procedures. Manufacturing resumed on 14 November.
Manuel Llobet, chief executive, said: "The start of our pivotal Phase III G306 trial investigating the efficacy and safety of our Grass MATA MPL marks the culmination of our efforts to bring this innovative treatment to millions of patients affected by grass allergies in both the US and Europe.
"We were encouraged by the results of our short-course grass pollen immunotherapy in the highly successful G309 exploratory field trial and look forward to advancing the development of this innovative treatment.
"The start of the VLP Peanut PROTECT trial is a significant milestone and a testament to the hard work of the Allergy Therapeutics team, developing innovative approaches that have the potential to transform the way we treat and manage allergies."