New drugs in early-stage clinical trials for allergic rhinitis

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the most common allergic disease, and it has a relevant impact on the quality of life of the patient. Treatment of AR includes a combination of strategies of proven efficacy and effectiveness; however, a relevant proportion of patients remain uncontrolled.

Areas covered: This review article summarizes emerging therapeutic approaches to AR; these approaches include nasal sprays, oral drugs, alternative allergen immunotherapy administration routes, and biologic agents.

Expert opinion: The agents discussed require further clinical trials to prove their efficacy in the treatment of AR. Some of these agents, in particular, allergen immunotherapies and biologics, have the potential to form crucial precision medicine approaches to AR. Those that prove their efficacy in clinical trials must also be evaluated from a pharmacoeconomic perspective, possibly in real-life studies; this will define which therapeutic strategies achieve the most convenient and cost-effective ratio, thus yielding a novel opportunity for the most severe and previously treatment-resistant allergic patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Allergic rhinitis
• allergen immunotherapy
• antihistamines
• biologics
• nasal sprays

Article highlights

• Allergic rhinitis remains uncontrolled in a proportion of patients despite the availability of effective drugs, and sometimes, they suffer from drug-related adverse events.

• Novel medications for allergic rhinitis, such as intranasal and systemic drugs, are in development.

• Novel administration routes for allergen immunotherapy are emerging; they may enhance clinical efficacy.

• Biologic agents already used or in development for severe asthma have the potential to be effective for treating concomitant allergic rhinitis.

• Novel therapeutic approaches to allergic rhinitis need further testing in clinical trials

‘This box summarizes key points contained in the article’

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.