‘One size fits all’ jab for allergies to hit shelves

LONDON - A “one size fits all” jab that wards off asthma, eczema, hay fever and even peanut allergies could hit shelves within four to five years.

Swiss researchers have claimed allergies that blight the lives of millions of people around the world could be largely eradicated with a single vaccine.

An allergy conference in London heard that the injection could offer relief for patients with allergies.

Experts say if the jab, called CYT003-Qbg10, which has been tested on humans, is properly developed it become the “hail grail” of vaccines due to it helping ward off multiple allergies.

A trial, conducted by scientists from Cytos Biotechnology, a firm based in Zurich, concluded that a course of the vaccine was almost as good as steroids at keeping asthma under control.

The jab is made up of pieces of synthetic DNA similar to those found in the bug that causes tuberculosis or TB.

The DNA fools the body into thinking it is under attack from a dangerous bug, kick-starting a multi-pronged immune response.

A total of 63 asthmatic patients were given the course of the jab or a series of injections of a dummy drug over two or three months.

Researchers found it cut asthma attacks or symptoms by a third.

In another trial, an injection every week over a month and half, cut the amount of runny noses and weepy eyes by almost 39 per cent.

The researchers said that the quality of life was boosted by 42 per cent.

Dr Wolfgang Renner, the chief executive of Cytos, told the Daily Mail the results were exciting.

“We think it is a one-size-fits all mechanism. We are very excited about it,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

Renner suggested that the first large-scale human trial could start next year and a vaccine within a few years. (ANI)