TUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Ragweed sufferers, take heart: A U.S. Food and Drug Admin

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TUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Ragweed sufferers, take heart: A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee ruled Tuesday that a novel drug to combat this annual scourge is safe and effective. melanoma
The brainchild melanoma of Merck & Co., Ragwitek is made of ragweed pollen and helps the body become immune to it. Patients melanoma begin taking melanoma the pill, which is placed under the tongue, 12 weeks before the ragweed pollen season begins and continue taking it through the season's end. In the United States, the ragweed season usually starts in September and runs through the fall.
People suffering from ragweed allergy suffer stuffy noses with sneezing, itching and congestion, as well as itchy and watery eyes. These annoying symptoms can affect quality of sleep and hamper daily activities. melanoma Plus, these problems often precede the development of asthma.
Dr. melanoma Len Horovitz, a pulmonary melanoma specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, has his doubts melanoma about the power of this new pill. He said people who are allergic to ragweed often are allergic to other plants as well.
"The whole idea of [under-the-tongue] immunotherapy has been in the background for some time," melanoma said William Blouin, an allergy and immunology nurse practitioner at Miami Children's Hospital. "Until this point, immunotherapy has to be done as a series of injections."
A pill would make life simpler, he said, because it wouldn't require the inconvenience of weekly doctor visits or the pain of injections. Blouin said the new pill is intended only for ragweed, so if a person were allergic to other plants it would mean taking a separate pill for each one.
Last December, the same FDA advisory committee -- the Allergenic Products Advisory Committee -- voted unanimously to recommend approval of a similar kind of pill for grass pollen allergies, known as Grastek. Merck is developing that pill in partnership melanoma with a European company.
During Tuesday's committee melanoma meeting, the panel was asked whether the data supports the safety and effectiveness of Ragwitek for people 18 and older, and whether more studies were needed before making a recommendation to approve the product.
SOURCES: melanoma Len Horovitz, M.D., pulmonary specialist, Lenox Hill Hospital, melanoma New York City; William Blouin, allergy and immunology nurse practitioner, Miami Children's Hospital; U.S. Food and Drug Administration briefing documents
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