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ABSTRACT: Parvalbumin is a pan-allergen in fish and frogs that triggers IgE-mediated reactions in fish-allergic individuals. Previous studies demonstrated that antibodies raised against fish and frog parvalbumins displayed varying specificity for different fish species, and thus, the applicability of these antibodies for potential use in immunoassays to detect fish residues were limited. We aimed to determine the specificity of 3 IgG antibodies for various fish species.

LEIDEN - the Netherlands (31-10-2011) – HAL Allergy B.V. today announced that it has included the first patient in its PHASE II dose range finding study. This multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis/rhinoconjunctivitis will characterize the dose-response relationship of PURETHAL® Mites in order to support the optimal dose in terms of clinical efficacy and safety. The study has been initiated in September 2011 in 5 European countries.

HAL Allergy in the "New England Journal of Medicine", the world's most renowned medical journal New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 364, 1981-82 (may 19th, 2011) Last month, a letter was published by the New England Journal of Medicine describing a story of a boy who experienced an allergic reaction after receiving a blood transfusion to treat his leukaemia.

HAL Allergy today announced that it has filed marketing authorization applications (MAA) for PURETHAL® Mites and SUBLIVAC® FIX Grasses, Trees, and Mites (incl. homologous group products) at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, the regulatory authority in Germany.

HAL Allergy's donation of laboratory equipment is making it possible to develop environmentally-friendly and organic pesticides for farmers in Kenya. This could lead in the future to a reduction in the quantity of vegetables containing harmful pesticides arriving on the EU market. Batches of food are currently being rejected owing to excessively high pesticide contents, which is a financial disaster for the Kenyan farmers.

In August 2010 a young German tourist in the Netherlands died after eating a "saté croquette", a food whose ingredients contain a strong concentration of peanuts. According to the Dutch daily "de Telegraaf" and the regional news site "WebRegio.nl", the 25-year old women most likely suffered from a peanut allergy.

The use of immunotherapy based on anti-allergy vaccines is set to increase for the treatment of allergies in the years to come. Far from fighting the symptoms, this therapy tackles the cause. Research is also being conducted into food allergies to establish whether immunotherapy offers a solution for patients who react severely to the accidental consumption of foods such as peanuts.

HAL Allergy, one of Europe's leading anti-allergy vaccine producers, has opened its new head office at the Bio Science Park in Leiden. During the official opening the company's supervisory board unveiled the company's plans to invest millions of euros in new products and research during the next five years.