Jack Jumper Ant VEnom Immunotherapy Long-term Effectiveness INvestigation

Jack Jumper ant (JJA) venom allergy is a uniquely Australian medical condition. It is the leading cause of venom allergy and affects up to three per cent of the population. 70 percent of people with JJA allergy will have another reaction on a repeat sting and this sensitivity appears to persist for many years.
Venom immunotherapy (VIT) has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment in the prevention of severe systemic allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) to future stings. It is currently offered to patients as standard care in Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria.

Despite the use of VIT for JJA allergy for many years in Australia, there is an absence of evidence on the durability of effectiveness and quality of life after cessation.

This phase 4 clinical trial will offer participants who have completed a JJA VIT program (between 3 and <6 years duration) and have been off-treatment for at least 18-months and < 5 years to have a supervised JJA sting challenge and blood test to assess their JJA venom tolerance level. They will also be asked to complete a set of questionnaires at enrolment, 1-month post sting challenge and annually for 3-years. Quality of life, anxiety and depression scores, history of field sting reactions since treatment completion and attitudes towards adrenaline auto-injector carriage and usage will be collected.

These measures will be used to identify the long-term effectiveness of JJA VIT, whether the sting challenge is a reliable predictor of reaction for future JJA field stings and the impact of a sting challenge post VIT on patient quality of life.