1. Fresh funding gives hope to a new generation of asthma and allergy treatment
Scientists at St George’s, University of London and the University of Manchester have received
an additional Seeding Drug Discovery award of £390,000 from the Wellcome Trust to explore a
new class of experimental drugs that block the trigger of allergic reactions before symptoms
show.
The team is developing a series of drugs based on novel chemical compounds known as Allergen
Delivery Inhibitors (ADIs). Unlike existing medicines, these compounds target the substances that
can trigger allergies and asthma attacks directly. This means that they have the potential to
provide relief to people already suffering with allergies, as well as reducing the risk of minor
allergies escalating into more serious conditions.
In 2009, the researchers were awarded a £4.3 million Seeding Drug Discovery award to
investigate ADIs as a potential treatment for asthma and allergy. In the course of that project,
they have identified a novel chemical series that shows promise as a preventative treatment. The
new funding will be used to explore this further with a view to identifying a lead compound that
could be developed into a drug.
Asthma and allergic conditions such as rhinitis, conjunctivitis and dermatitis are escalating
problems expected to affect more than 100 million people globally by 2011. In the UK, 5.2 million
adults and 1.1 million children currently receive treatment for asthma, creating a significant social
and healthcare burden for the NHS.
The first ADI drug being developed by the team – in collaboration with the expert medicinal
chemistry partner Domainex – targets house dust mites, globally one of the commonest causes of
domestic allergy and a key trigger of asthma attacks.
Dust mites excrete particles, amongst which are powerful enzymes that, when inhaled, can cause
an inappropriate immune reaction in people who are prone to allergy, causing damage to the
lining of the airways. These allergenic enzymes are abundant in the environment, so they cannot
be avoided and susceptible people are constantly at risk.
The team has developed ADIs that bind to the dust mite particles and block their enzymatic
activity. Experimentally, these inhibitors reduce the intensity of reactions in established allergy
and can even prevent allergy from occurring.
“A compelling feature of the ADI approach is its attack on the pinnacle of the cascade of events
that leads to an allergic reaction,” explains lead researcher Professor Clive Robinson from St
George’s, University of London. “Existing medicines target the allergy cascade at a lower, more
complex level where success in the discovery of new drugs that modify allergic diseases is
notoriously hard to achieve. At present, patients have to rely on therapeutic approaches which
have seen no fundamental advances in the past 20 years.
“Used alone or in combination with existing treatments, our investigations indicate that they
should improve the quality of life for many patients with allergic disease and may enable some to
manage without any other form of treatment,” continues Professor Robinson. “Additionally, ADIs
may provide relief for some patients who do not respond well to existing medicines.”
“We have made outstanding progress in refining these molecules into a drug that will be safe and
effective in humans. However, much work remains before a medicine will be available,”
concludes Professor Robinson.

2. Dr Rick Davis, Business Development Manager at the Wellcome Trust, commented on the award:
“Allergy is a source of misery for millions worldwide and represents an area of huge unmet
medical need. The St George’s-Manchester collaboration has made excellent progress in this
area and we are pleased to provide continued support for this project.”
Once a lead compound has been identified, the next phase of work will be to refine the drug
candidate to take forward into human clinical trials to assess its safety, tolerability and efficacy.
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For further information, please contact Helena Clay in the St George’s, University of London
press office on 020 8266 6831 or email hclay@sgul.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
• St George’s, University of London provides education and training to a wide range of
more than 4,000 medical and healthcare students. As well as providing courses in
medicine and biomedical sciences, the College also offers courses in midwifery, nursing,
paramedic science, physiotherapy, radiography and social work in conjunction with
Kingston University. St George’s is dedicated to promoting the prevention, treatment and
understanding of disease through excellence in teaching, clinical practice and research. It
has a strong reputation for research in areas such as infection and immunity, diseases of
the heart and circulation, cell signalling and epidemiology. Other areas of expertise
include genetics, health and social care sciences and mental health.
• The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving
extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds
in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support
includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health.
It is independent of both political and commercial interests.
www.wellcome.ac.uk
• Domainex Ltd. is a UK located Contract Research Organisation committed to excellence
in drug discovery. It provides its clients with a range of services, from drug target
expression through in-silico hit finding and medicinal chemistry, resulting in eventual
candidate drug. It has one of the best track records in the drug discovery CRO industry
and has supported a number of Wellcome Trust funded drug discovery programmes. For
more information see: www.domainex.co.uk