Another day and another allergy tablet, this time Merck & Co and ALK-Abello's Grastek, has found favour with a US regulatory panel.  

The Allergenic Products Advisory Committee (APAC) of the US Food and Drug Administration has voted unanimously to recommend approval of Grastek for the treatment of Timothy grass induced allergic rhinitis, with or without conjunctivitis. The immunotherapy is already marketed in Europe with Grazax.
 
Sean Curtis, head of respiratory and immunology at Merck Research Laboratories said "we believe Grastek has the potential to be an important new oral therapeutic option for allergy specialists and their patients". The company anticipates the FDA’s review to be completed in the first half of 2014.

Merck and ALK are also developing other sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablets for ragweed pollen and house dust mite-induced allergic rhinitis. Under the agreement, the Danish company could receive up to 1.6 billion kroner (about $290 million) in milestone payments from Merck, and it has already banked 300 million kroner. ALK is also entitled to royalties.

The recommendation came a day after the APAC voted in favour of approving Stallergenes' Oralair, a five-grass pollen extract immunotherapy sublingual tablet.