Being allergic to cats is one of the worst things that can happen to animal lovers. So far, there hasn’t been an effective way to stop or cure cat allergies, but things could soon change according to news coming from Switzerland. A team of Swiss scientists are currently developing a cat allergy vaccine that could make these problems go away.
The company, HypoPet, part of the University of Zurich, recently issued a press release in which they detailed a new breakthrough when it comes to helping people who are allergic to cats. The company came up with a vaccine, called HypoCat, which neutralizes the allergic reaction triggers in the cat’s fur and skin.
Cats produce protein compound called Fel d 1, which can be found in their saliva, skin, and sebaceous glands. People who have a sensitivity to the compound usually experience skin itching and sneezing, while long term exposure can also cause respiratory problems.
The vaccine, which is applied to cats, aims to lower the production of this protein compound while being harmless to the felines.
HypoPet states that they have conducted four separate studies, with 54 cats taking part, which showed promising results. If everything goes well, the vaccine could be on the market in three years.
