title: Allergen immunotherapy on the way to product-based evaluation-a WAO statement.
abstract: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is widely used in clinical practice for patients with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis due to inhalant allergens and may be delivered via subcutaneous (SCIT) and sublingual routes (SLIT). However, the quality of evidence for individual AIT products is very heterogeneous, and extensions of overall conclusions ("class effects") on the efficacy and disease-modifying effects to all AIT products are unjustified. In contrast, each product needs to be evaluated individually, based on available study results, to justify efficacy and specific claims on sustained and disease modifying effects per allergen and targeted patient group (children vs. adults, allergic rhinitis vs. asthma). WAO intends to support the current development to evidence-based AIT, which ultimately will lead to a more efficacious treatment of allergic patients and the appropriate recognition of AIT.
authors.affiliation: Upper Airway Research Laboratory, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bachert
authors.affiliation: Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, Department of Medicine, St. Joseph's Hospital Healthcare, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larché
authors.affiliation: Second University of Naples, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonini
authors.affiliation: Allergy and Respiratory Diseases, DIMI Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, IRCCS AOU S. Martino, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio Walter
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Canonica
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kündig
authors.affiliation: Hospital Medica Sur, Toriello Guerra, Delegacion Tlalpan, Mexico, DF Mexico.
authors.forename: Desiree
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Larenas-Linnemann
authors.affiliation: Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida USA.
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ledford
authors.affiliation: Head, Respiratory Medicine Unit, Orlando Alassia Hospital, Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Neffen
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Department of Pediatrics, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Ruby
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pawankar
authors.affiliation: Allergy and Respiratory Diseases, DIMI Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, IRCCS AOU S. Martino, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Passalacqua