Information for parents
Asthma is the most common long-term illness in children, and its rates are still rising, so new ways need to be found to help prevent it. Sometimes children with asthma need to go to hospital or may not be well enough to go to school.
A major risk factor for asthma in children is reaction to house dust mite (HDM). House dust mites are tiny bugs that commonly live in house dust. We believe that giving children at risk of asthma, high doses of HDM could help their immune systems become less sensitive to it and prevent asthma developing.
What is this new prevention method?
If your child takes part in this trial than they will be randomly assigned to either the real treatment (Acarizax®) or the dummy treatment which looks like the real thing but is not. It contains no active ingredients. Acarizax® contains an allergen extract from house dust mites. It comes in a form known as sublingual lyophilisates, which are like tablets but much softer and absorbed into the body by putting them under the tongue. Acarizax® works by increasing the immunological tolerance (your body’s ability to cope) to house dust mites.
Acarizax® is a treatment already available in the NHS for moderate to severe swelling of the nasal passages caused by house dust mites for people aged 12 to 65 years.
Guidance once your child is taking part
Below are some audio clips of breathing and wheezing examples. These can be used to help you to decide if your child has had any wheezing during the trial. If you have any questions or are unsure after listening to these audio clips, please ask your research team.
We also have a link to the instructions for taking the trial medication. A copy if these will also be provided by the research team at your baseline visit.