Is Immunotherapy for Asthma Worthwhile?

Although allergen immunotherapy has been used to treat allergic asthma for over 70 years, its role remains controversial. The consensus report on diagnosis and management of asthma of the National Institutes of Health recommends that allergen immunotherapy should be considered only when asthma is poorly controlled with drug therapy or when it is impossible to avoid allergens,1 whereas the British Thoracic Society Guidelines do not recommend immunotherapy under any circumstances.2 There have been many trials of immunotherapy, but the results are often difficult to interpret because of the use of allergen extracts that are not standardized, poor study design, and . . .