Current aspects of the use of allergen-specific immunotherapy in patients with bronchial asthma: review of GINA 2024 updates and results of the EfficAPSI study

Bronchial asthma remains one of the most significant respiratory diseases in the world and in Russia. The number of patients with asthma is steadily increasing, and disease control is not achieved in all patients, even with adequate pharmacotherapy. The only currently available method for the treatment of respiratory allergy that can influence the natural course of the disease is allergen-specific immunotherapy. Studying the impact of allergen-specific immunotherapy on asthma onset and progression is critical to optimizing current treatment strategies and providing new and unique options for patients with asthma. Scientific communities are focused on promoting disease-modifying solutions based on compelling clinical evidence to rethink approaches to the treatment of respiratory diseases and improve the quality of life of people with allergies. The updated Global Initiative for Asthma 2024 guidelines emphasize the importance of allergen-specific immunotherapy, especially sublingual form, in the management of allergic asthma, noting its ability to reduce the risk of onset and progression of the disease. The article examines the main provisions of the new expert guidelines in the field of allergen-specific immunotherapy and presents the results of the EfficAPSI study, one of the largest population-based studies demonstrating the effect of sublingual immunotherapy on the course of asthma.