Thousands of people in England who live with severe dust mite allergy are to be offered a first-of-its-kind daily pill to treat the condition on the NHS.
In final draft guidance published on Thursday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has given the green light to a drug shown to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
The tablet – 12 SQ-HDM SLIT, also known as Acarizax and made by ALK-Abelló – works by increasing the body’s resistance to house dust mites and is of particular benefit to people whose symptoms do not respond enough to treatment such as steroid nasal sprays and antihistamines.
By taking a regular fixed amount of house dust mite allergy extract every day, the body can become less sensitive to the effect of dust mites, cutting the symptoms of the allergic reaction over time.
The treatment is taken for three years at home to build up the body’s resistance.
House dust mites are tiny creatures that feed on dead skin cells. It is not possible to completely remove all house dust mites from a home, no matter how clean it is.
Nice said at least 13,000 people aged 12 to 65 with persistent moderate to severe house dust mite allergic rhinitis could benefit from the therapy, which is the first treatment it has recommended for the condition.
Persistent allergy is when symptoms occur on four or more days a week for a month and have not been helped by standard treatments.
Common symptoms include sneezing, an itchy nose, a runny or blocked nose and itchy, red and watery eyes. In severe cases it can be debilitating and cause facial swelling, fatigue and affect people’s sleep, Nice said.
Helen Knight, the director of medicines evaluation at Nice, predicted the new drug would have a “significant positive impact” on the quality of life of thousands of people.
“This is a chronic, debilitating condition, which can prevent people from going to their workplace or school,” she said. “This medicine has been found to improve symptoms, helping people to live their lives, and has potential to be truly life-changing.”
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Dr Helen Evans-Howells, a patient expert and GP, welcomed Nice’s green light.
“This drug could be life-changing for those affected by severe symptoms which include significant fatigue, congestion and facial swelling. The evidence clearly shows it offers an effective solution for those who have struggled with standard treatments.”
Amena Warner, the head of clinical services at Allergy UK, said the decision was a “landmark step” and the benefits for patients would be “far reaching”.
“Many endure years of misery; of nasal congestion, loss of smell and sneezing, impacting their sleep and daily living with little respite from symptoms.
“This can also affect mental wellbeing. With this treatment there is now hope for people who fit the criteria to be able to access this through the NHS.”
