The upcoming holiday season can be a season of misery for South Texans allergic to cedar pollen. One local clinical research company is testing the next generation of prescription help for those who suffer.
Up to 20% of South Texans suffer from cedar pollen allergies. This season is shaping up to be particularly bad. Recent fall rains coupled with north winds blowing through could trigger suffering sooner than usual in December.
“Well, the numbers suggest that when we get an early start in the first or second week of December, we’re going to have a season that lasts probably two weeks longer than usual,” explained allergist Dr. Paul Ratner of Sylvana Research.
That means ten or 11 weeks of cedar pollen instead of 7 or 8. Not good news for people like Ricky Rogers, who knows firsthand the misery cedar allergies can cause. It’s an every December and January occurrence for him.
“I’m just sneezing over and over again,” Rogers said. “And you have to have something like a tissue real close by. I call it an attack.”
Now, as part of a clinical trial, Rogers is helping test an investigational nasal steroid for cedar allergies. Pharmaceutical companies are testing generic versions of drugs already on the market.
“These medications can be prohibitively expensive,” Ratner stated. “In some cases it can cost $90 to $100 a month. So the availability of these generic bio-equivalents certainly makes it more competitive and ultimately will drive the cost down.”
It’s easy to find out for certain if you have cedar pollen allergies. A skin test injects tiny amounts of a substance under your skin, and if you develop red, itchy welts, that reaction shows you’re allergic.
Rogers hopes the nasal spray study is successful, and if it is, these new products could be on the market in about two year.
“Hopefully, this will get on the market soon and will help a lot of people,” Rogers added.
Sylvana Research is looking for about 250 volunteers, people who have cedar pollen allergies or think they might.
That phone number is (210) 614-6673.
