Given the widespread prevalence of allergic disease, the significant clinical and economic burden associated with it, the unique disease-modifying benefits of allergy immunotherapy (AIT), and the increased availability of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), a critical update of the evidence for AIT-related cost savings is particularly relevant and timely. In the current study, researchers wanted to examine the evidence for cost reductions associated with SCIT and SLIT gathered from a systematic evaluation of the available literature.
About 24 papers on the health economics of AIT were reviewed. Except for one early research that compared the costs of AIT to symptomatic drug therapy (SDT), the remaining studies provided solid evidence that AIT is less expensive than SDT. Furthermore, four of the six studies that compared the cost results of SLIT and SCIT found cost savings favoring SLIT.
According to researchers, this review, which includes studies from North America, covers a variety of perennial and seasonal allergic conditions, such as allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis with or without asthma, and rhinoconjunctivitis with or without allergic rhinitis caused by house dust mite, grass or ragweed pollen, or a combination of allergens.
