An existing injectable drug used to treat asthma and chronic hives may provide preventative protection for children with severe food allergies — and potentially allow them to eat peanuts, eggs and other foods that commonly cause reactions.
Omalizumab — known as Xolair — “significantly increased” the amount of food that children and adolescents with food allergies “were able to consume without an allergic reaction,” according to the results of a study sponsored and funded by the Division of Allergy of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and infectious diseases (NIAID).
The study followed 165 children, ages 1 to 17, and three adults, ages 18 to 55, who were all allergic to peanuts and at least two other foods.
“Study participants who received injections of omalizumab were able to consume higher doses of peanuts, eggs, milk, and cashews without allergic reactions than participants who received placebo injections,” according to the study.
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Xolair medicine in the form of an injection.
Genentech USA, Inc. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Xolair comes in pre-filled syringes that patients can inject themselves into the abdomen or upper thighs — or the injection can be given in the arm by a caregiver.
According to the CDC, nearly 6% of adults and children in the US have a food allergy. Affected people are more likely to be affected, according to a study published last June.
An allergic reaction is when the immune system reacts abnormally to a foreign substance. FARE, an advocacy organization for people with food allergies, states that more than 170 types of food have been reported to cause allergic reactions.
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Symptoms of a food allergy can range from an itchy mouth to anaphylaxis, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a “severe, life-threatening allergic reaction” in which the body goes into shock and the airways constrict in response.
According to FARE, around 200,000 people seek emergency medical attention each year due to food allergies.
Preventative drugs like Xolair could save lives—especially since takeout and prepackaged foods have caused fatal reactions in people who unknowingly consumed foods containing an ingredient like nuts.
One teenager with food allergies died within an hour and a half of eating a cookie containing peanut butter chips. Another man died after eating a takeout taco made with peanut butter.
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An EpiPen can save lives during an allergic reaction.
Getty Images
People with food allergies often carry an EpiPen or similar device to administer a life-saving dose of epinephrine—a chemical that opens the airways during an allergic reaction.
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dr. Larry Tsai, global head of product development for respiratory, allergic and infectious diseases at Genentech, which makes Xolair, suffers from food allergies and has a child with food allergies.
In an email to NBC, he said, “I know firsthand how challenging it is to deal with this condition and live in constant fear of accidental exposure.”
The FDA is now reviewing Xolair for prescribing for food allergies.
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Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education