Information updates

From 1st March 2021, Dupixent (dupilumab) is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in Australia for the treatment of patients, 12 years and above, with severe atopic dermatitis, who have failed to respond to optimally prescribed topical treatments.

Dupixent is a fully-human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the signaling of the interleukin4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) proteins, and is not an immunosuppressant. Data from Dupixent clinical trials have shown that IL-4 and IL-13 are key drivers of the type 2 inflammation that plays a major role in atopic dermatitis. Type 2 inflammation is the common denominator behind a range of lifelong diseases, including atopic dermatitis, asthma, and other allergic or atopic disorders, which appear to be disparate conditions but occur when the immune system overreacts to an allergen or pathogen.

Dupixent has been studied in more than 2,500 adult patients and 250 adolescent patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Dupixent is also the only systemic treatment for uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis that has been studied for up to three years in adults. The long-term safety profile of Dupixent observed in adolescents was consistent with that seen in adults with atopic dermatitis. 

Dupixent is jointly developed by Sanofi and Regeneron under a global collaboration agreement.

In Australia, Dupixent is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to treat moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in patients aged 12 years and over who are candidates for chronic systemic therapy. The medicine is available on the PBS for eligible patients from 1st March 2021, but will remain available on private prescription for Australians with moderate atopic dermatitis. Dupixent is not intended for episodic use.

Further information is available here Dupixent® PBS listed for severe atopic dermatitis145.40 KB 

The ASCIA 2021 Conference is being hosted as a virtual event from Wednesday 1st to Friday 3rd September 2021.

The ASCIA 2021 Conference website is being updated and registration will open in May 2021. In the meantime, a preliminary program summary, registration fees, abstract submission Information, a sponsorship-exhibition prospectus and further information is available on the ASCIA website www.allergy.org.au/conferences/ascia-annual-conference

In 2022 the ASCIA Conference will be held as a hybrid event in Melbourne from Wednesday 31st August to Friday 2nd September, so please note these dates in your 2022 calendar. 

We look forward to your involvement in the ASCIA 2021 Conference.

Kind regards,

On behalf of the ASCIA 2021 Conference committee.

The ASCIA COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ, Position Statement and webpage www.allergy.org.au/members/covid-19 have been updated with the following publications:

• COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy has been developed by the Australian Government and is available at https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-covid-19-vaccination-decision-guide-for-women-who-are-pregnant-breastfeeding-or-planning-pregnancy
• COVID-19 vaccine-associated anaphylaxis: A statement of the World Allergy Organization (WAO) Anaphylaxis Committee has recently been published open access at www.worldallergyorganizationjournal.org/article/S1939-4551(21)00011-9/fulltext

The ASCIA COVID-19 Vaccine Position Statement has been updated to include the following wording:

• In Australia, notifications of adverse events following immunisation should be made through the usual reporting mechanisms. Refer also to the Reporting to immunisation registers section of the Australian Immunisation Handbook. https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/immunisation/health-professionals/reporting-and-managing-adverse-vaccination-events
• In New Zealand, notifications of adverse events should be reported to the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM) https://nzphvc.otago.ac.nz/reporting/

Whilst the ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis has included infographics for several years, the ASCIA website has not previously included images of signs/symptoms of allergic reactions.

To address this, an ASCIA webpage showing signs/symptoms of allergic reactions has been developed. This includes new infographics that were recently developed by ASCIA, and a weblink to an animation showing signs/symptoms of allergic reactions which is on the Allergy & Anaphylaxis website. 

A mobile friendly html version and a PDF (which can printed as a poster) are both available at www.allergy.org.au/hp/anaphylaxis/signs-and-symptoms-of-allergic-reactions

As a result of recent ASCIA meetings with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), the following one page guides have been developed:

Allergy and COVID-19 Vaccination - Guide for health professionals New

Immunodeficiency, Autoimmunity and COVID-19 Vaccination - Guide for health professionals New

The ASCIA Quick Reference Guides are based on information from the ASCIA Position Statement and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) which provide more details:

Allergy, Immunodeficiency, Autoimmunity and COVID-19 Vaccination - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for patients, consumers and carers New

Allergy, Immunodeficiency, Autoimmunity and COVID-19 Vaccination - Position Statement for health professionals New 

All of the above documents are available open access on the ASCIA website allergy.org.au/members/covid-19

These documents will be updated when new information is available.

28 January 2021: 

ASCIA congratulates the following ASCIA members who received Australia Day honours this year:

• A/Professor Richard Loh OAM, awarded for his service to medicine, particularly to clinical immunology.         

https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2008192

• A/Professor Sheryl Van Nunen OAM, awarded for her service to medicine, particularly to clinical immunology and allergy.

https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2008178

This is a great recognition of their valued contributions, hard work and vision in the field of allergy and clinical immunology. 

8 January 2021: 

As part of the Australian Government’s pandemic response, a change has been made in the My Health Record system so that COVID-19 pathology reports are available to consumers in their My Health Record sooner. This change has been made in consultation with industry and government stakeholders. During the pandemic, timely delivery of COVID-19 test results to patients is crucial in containing the spread of the virus.

From 21 December 2020, if a pathology service uploads reports to My Health Record, any COVID-19 reports will be available after 24 hours to consumers who have a My Health Record. This is a convenient way to access results in addition to the direct notification already sent. Prior to 21 December 2020, when a pathology or diagnostic imaging report was uploaded to My Health Record, it was not available for viewing by consumers in their record until 7 days later.

All other pathology reports uploaded to My Health Record will continue to be available after seven days, giving clinicians time to check the report first and contact their patient about the results, if needed.

A review of the change will be conducted after 3 months.