Commercial laboratory preparation of immunotherapy vials

Abstract

The efficacy of allergen-specific immunotherapy injections for allergic patients continues to be documented. Recent reports on sublingual immunotherapy have acknowledged this route as a viable and safe alternative to subcutaneous immunotherapy for reducing respiratory symptoms. Allergens can be determined by direct skin testing (in vivo) or by serum analysis (in vitro). In vivo testing includes scratch, prick/puncture, intradermal, and skin endpoint titration. In vitro testing uses a form of a radioallergosorbent test to measure allergen-specific IgE. The use of a US Food and Drug Administration–licensed commercial laboratory for the preparation of immunotherapy offers numerous advantages for the physician: any method of testing can be accommodated according to the physician’s prescription; immunotherapy injections are prepared in a certified cleanroom following stringent guidelines to ensure quality and sterility; and a physician’s overhead costs for staff, space, and supplies, as well as staff time constraints, can be reduced.