The world’s first Russian vaccine against birch pollen allergy, Allergarda, may become available to patients as early as next year, according to Sergei Leonov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection. He stated that the drug’s registration is expected at the end of 2026, and it will enter civil circulation in 2027.
Leonov recalled that clinical trials of the drug, developed by a domestic company, were successfully completed in 2025. The main phase of the trials concluded at the end of last year.
“The results were impressive. In 25% of cases, patients vaccinated with Allergarda had no symptoms at all, and the majority experienced the pollen season overall much more mildly,” Leonov emphasized.
At the same time, the head of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection clarified that the development of the domestic drug has become particularly relevant amid supply disruptions of foreign alternatives. Leonov noted that in 2025, pharmacies experienced shortages of the French drug Staloral, which was previously widely used to treat birch pollen allergy.
The development of a vaccine to treat birch pollen allergy was announced in 2023. It was created by scientists from the Institute of Immunology of the FMBA (Federal Medical-Biological Agency) together with colleagues from the Medical University of Vienna. Upon completion of the trials, the drug may be included in the National Vaccination Schedule.
It is expected that no more than five injections will be sufficient to eliminate the allergic reaction, whereas existing treatments require up to 30 administrations. Unlike traditional allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT), which takes about three years, the treatment course with the Allergarda vaccine is designed for two seasons. The developers note that this approach allows for a shorter treatment duration and increases patient adherence to therapy.