During American College of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Meeting, Physicians are Reminded of the Need to Raise Awareness of the Burden of Allergic Rhinitis and the Need For Appropriate Diagnosis and Treatment

ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) has joined Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. to announce their support of “Allergy Intervention,” aimed at reminding physicians to re-engage their allergy patients in a discussion about the burden of allergic rhinitis (AR), intended to help them achieve symptom relief and allergy control. The announcement comes during the ACAAI Annual Scientific Meeting, Nov. 8-13^th at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“The duration and severity of AR symptoms can have a substantial burden on a patient's quality of life,” said allergist Dr. Eli Meltzer, Fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Member of the ACAAI Rhinitis/Sinusitis Committee and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. “We know that often patients don't tell their physician when they have discontinued a medication, or they are not using it as prescribed. Patients generally switch their nasal allergy medications due to perceived incomplete relief or bothersome treatment effects. By proactively talking to our patients, or staging an ‘Allergy Intervention' and encouraging a discussion about the burden of their nasal allergies, we can have a better understanding of how a patient's treatment is working for them.”

It is estimated that as many as 60 million people in the United States are affected by AR, and its prevalence is increasing. Furthermore, over 13 million doctor visits a year are attributed to nasal allergies.¹ These patients and their prescribers have a variety of prescription and non-prescription medications to choose from, yet many struggle to find a treatment that they can stick with, potentially leading to lack of adherence or medication switches. In fact, as many as one in five patients report that they switch their nasal allergy medication at least once a year.²

“AR is often regarded as unimportant, rather than a serious medical condition that can impact a person's sleep, day-to-day activities and overall quality of life,” said Dr. Stanley Fineman, President of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. “As a result, many people who suffer from its symptoms are often not properly diagnosed and treated. ACAAI and its allergist members are dedicated to improving the lives of patients with nasal allergies, so we are pleased to be part of an initiative that aims to strengthen the patient-physician dialogue.”

Based on currently available guidelines, intranasal steroid (INS) medications continue to be considered the most effective single agents available for AR treatment.^3,4,5 However, a recent study showed that 25-30 percent of U.S. adult patients reported being dissatisfied with their current INS medication, with about one in three patients reporting that they suffer from a perceived lack of 24-hour relief with their medications and almost half reporting breakthrough AR symptoms.² Additionally, many patients complained of bothersome effects associated with INS medications such as dripping down the throat, a feeling that may be experienced with aqueous-based nasal sprays.⁶

“Physicians have a key role to play in recognizing dissatisfaction and non-adherent behavior and helping patients review their AR treatment options. Allergy patients have many treatment options available, including dry nasal aerosol sprays and a combination aqueous nasal spray,” says Dr. Meltzer. “‘Allergy Intervention' provides us with a compelling message to reinitiate a discussion with our patients and to work together to arrive at a preferred treatment regimen for allergy control.”

Board-certified allergists are the best-trained health professionals to perform allergy testing and treat allergic diseases effectively. Allergists treat more than just symptoms and can identify the source of suffering and develop a treatment plan for patients that will significantly reduce symptoms.

“It is important that physicians who believe their patient is suffering from allergies refer them to a board-certified allergist for testing and treatment,” said Dr. Fineman. “Allergies can be complex, and patients who do not see an allergist may risk having test results misinterpreted which can lead to over-diagnosis and inappropriate management.”

Further information about “Allergy Intervention” can be found on www.allergyintervention.com. The website, supported by Sunovion, contains a number of valuable resources for physicians' offices, including a physician-to-patient discussion guide and a downloadable waiting-room postcard. Further information about allergic rhinitis and the My Nasal Allergy journal can be found on AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org. Patients can use the journal to track their symptoms and share reports with their allergist.

About “Allergy Intervention”

The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) has joined Sunovion to announce their support of “Allergy Intervention,” a campaign designed to encourage physicians to re-engage their nasal allergy patients in a discussion about the burden of allergic rhinitis (AR), intended to help them achieve symptom relief and allergy control. Patients continue to be dissatisfied due to perceived incomplete relief or bothersome effects, resulting in patients switching from medication to medication; in fact, about one in five patients report that they switch their allergy medication at least one time each year.² By proactively talking to patients, or staging an “Allergy Intervention,” physicians can encourage an open discussion with patients about their allergy treatment regimen, and better understand how a patient's medication is working for them.

About Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Sunovion)

Sunovion is a leading pharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing therapeutic products that advance the science of medicine in the central nervous system (CNS) and respiratory disease areas and improve the lives of patients and their families. Sunovion's drug development program, together with its corporate development and licensing efforts, has yielded a portfolio of pharmaceutical products including LATUDA^® (lurasidone HCl) tablets, LUNESTA^® (eszopiclone) tablets, XOPENEX^® (levalbuterol HCI) inhalation solution, XOPENEX HFA^® (levalbuterol tartrate) inhalation aerosol, BROVANA^® (arformoterol tartrate) inhalation solution, OMNARIS^® (ciclesonide) nasal spray, ZETONNA^® (ciclesonide) nasal aerosol and ALVESCO^® (ciclesonide) inhalation aerosol.

Sunovion, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., is headquartered in Marlborough, Mass. More information about Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. is available at www.sunovion.com.

About American College of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI)

More news and research from the ACAAI Annual Meeting, being held November 8-13, 2012 can be followed via Twitter at #ACAAI.

The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology is a professional medical organization of more than 5,700 allergists-immunologists and allied health professionals, headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill. The College fosters a culture of collaboration and congeniality in which its members work together and with others toward the common goals of patient care, education, advocacy and research. ACAAI allergists are board-certified physicians trained to diagnose allergies and asthma, administer immunotherapy, and provide patients with the best treatment outcomes. For more information and to find relief, visit www.AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.

The ACAAI Press Room is located in Room 304B at the Anaheim Convention Center, November 9-12, 2012, 714-765-2005, media@acaai.org.

About Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. (DSP)

DSP is a multi-billion dollar, top-ten listed pharmaceutical company in Japan with a diverse portfolio of pharmaceutical, animal health and food and specialty products. DSP aims to produce innovative pharmaceutical products in the CNS field, which has been designated as the key therapeutic area and will also focus in on other specialty disease categories with significant unmet medical needs, which are designated as frontier therapeutic areas. DSP is based on the merger in 2005 between Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Today, DSP has more than 7,000 employees worldwide. Additional information about DSP is available through its corporate website at www.ds-pharma.com.

LATUDA is a registered trademark of Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. LUNESTA, XOPENEX, XOPENEX HFA and BROVANA are registered trademarks of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. OMNARIS and ALVESCO are registered trademarks of Nycomed.GmbH , used under license. For a copy of this release, visit Sunovion's web site at www.sunovion.com or the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's web site at www.acaai.org.

¹ Nasal Allergy Facts. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Available at http://www.acaai.org/allergist/news/Pages/Allergy_Facts.aspx. Accessed 26 September 2012.
² Meltzer E., Blaiss, M.S. & Naclerio, R.M. Burden of allergic rhinitis: Allergies in America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific adult surveys. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings 2012;33:S113-S141(29).
³ Skoner D.P. Allergic rhinitis: definition, epidemiology, pathophysiology, detection, and diagnosis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2001;108:S2-S8.
⁴ Brożek J.L. et al. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines: 2010 Revision. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 126(3): 2010.
⁵ Wallace D.V., et al. The diagnosis and management of rhinitis: an updated practice parameter. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2008 Dec;122(6):1237.
⁶ Meltzer E.O. Allergies in America survey: Adult patients' perceptions of the sensory attributes and tolerability of their nasal allergy medications. Presented at ACAAI Annual Meeting. November 2011.