A RECENT study has evaluated the safety and tolerability of initiating sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) with Artemisia annua during the pollen season, compared to starting the treatment beforehand. Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) is a common condition triggered by pollen, often leading patients to seek treatment only when symptoms become unbearable. This study aimed to determine if beginning SLIT during the pollen season affects patients’ safety.
The research involved 90 patients with Artemisia-induced SAR, who were randomised into two groups: the coseasonal initiation treatment (COS-SLIT) group, which started SLIT when symptoms appeared during the 2022 pollen season, and the preseasonal initiation treatment (PRE-SLIT) group, which began treatment four months prior to the season. Patients were classified into mild and moderate-severe symptom groups based on their visual analog scale (VAS) scores from the 2021 pollen season.
The study tracked adverse events (AEs) over a period of 12 months, including during the up-dosing phase (5 weeks) and at three, six, and twelve months. The results showed that 72 patients, 32 in the COS-SLIT group and 40 in the PRE-SLIT group, were included in the analysis. In total, 33 patients reported 78 adverse events, with no significant differences between the two groups regarding the frequency or number of AEs at any follow-up point.
The most common AEs in both groups were nasal symptoms, lip edema, and ocular pruritus, with no significant differences in the alleviating measures used to manage these symptoms. The study also found that both groups, regardless of the timing of treatment initiation, showed comparable tolerability, whether they had mild or moderate-severe symptoms.
In conclusion, the study suggests that initiating Artemisia annua SLIT during the pollen season is just as safe and well-tolerated as starting it before the season, offering flexible treatment options for patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Reference
Liu Y et al. Comparative safety analysis of coseasonal versus preseasonal Artemisia annua sublingual immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2025;282(4):1941-50.
