August 15, 2019
In addition to being entirely trendy, cat love is objectively wonderful. A life joy that some people, hindered by allergies, may never get to experience.
But that might change some day in light of news that a Swiss company, HypoPet AG, has developed a vaccine to fight against the allergy-causing protein in cats, Fel d 1, which triggers an allergic response in 10 percent of humans. And you don't even have to roll up your sleeve.
The vaccine, dubbed HypoCat, demonstrated success in four studies involving 54 cats, the New York Post reports.
RELATED READ: Local celiac disease group reacts to failed clinical trial for vaccine
“We are very pleased to publish this data which shows our HypoCat vaccine is able to produce high levels of antibodies in cats and that these antibodies can bind and neutralize the Fel d 1 allergen produced by the animals," Dr. Gary Jennings, CEO of HypoPet, said in a company announcement. "This work was a key step in the milestone-driven development of HypoCat.”
HypoCat works slightly differently than other immunotherapies, according to Fox News, by “immunizing cats against their own major allergen” instead of administering the vaccine to humans suffering from the allergy. Yes, your pet gets vaccinated.
Conceivably, the vaccine will help humans with their pet allergy symptoms, including rashes, irritated and itchy eyes and congestion.
Have a dog?
The company is hoping to leverage its development of HypoCat to make a vaccine for canines (and their owners), according to its website.
