New Asthma Prevention Study Underway At UHSM

The largest ever study to investigate whether its possible to prevent children with hay fever going on to develop asthma is now underway at UHSM (University Hospital South Manchester).

Researchers from the North West Lung Research Centre, along with others from centres across the UK and Europe, are looking to recruit 600 children between the ages of 4 and 11 who have no asthma symptoms but who have hay fever and need medication.

The idea is to study the youngsters to see if treatment with a prescribed and approved hay fever tablet, which contains natural grass pollen, can also reduce the risk of children with hay fever developing asthma. For the first three years half the young recruits will be given the tablet every day and then followed for a further two years to determine if the treatment helps prevent them developing asthma. The other half will be given a placebo tablet.

Research Manager, Gina Kerry, who is based at UHSM says: “We know that childhood allergic hay fever increases the risk of asthma development in later life by up to seven-fold. This trial will determine if this hay fever treatment can prevent development of asthma in children with grass pollen allergy.

“We only have a two month window for recruitment before the grass pollen season starts so we really need people to come forward to take part in the trial as soon as possible. Anyone interested should call 0800 6556553 for more details.”

For more information contact Laura Parker, UHSM Media & Communications Officer, tel: 0161 291 2886 or email: laura.parker@uhsm.nhs.uk.

The study is sponsored by the pharmaceutical company ALK Abello and has been approved by an independent ethics committee.