Birch-SPIRE

Birch-SPIRE is an investigational immunotherapy designed to treat birch pollen allergy. It belongs to a class of therapies known as Synthetic Peptide Immuno-Regulatory Epitopes (SPIREs), which aim to induce immune tolerance by targeting the underlying cause of allergic disease rather than just alleviating symptoms. SPIRE treatments work by stimulating naïve T cells to differentiate into regulatory T cells (T-regs). These T-regs inhibit mast cell activation and suppress both early- and late-phase allergic responses, reducing histamine release and inflammatory cytokine production. Unlike traditional allergen immunotherapies, SPIREs do not cross-link IgE antibodies on mast cells, potentially offering a safer profile with less risk of severe allergic reactions. Birch-SPIRE was developed for the treatment of birch pollen allergy.