Page 26 - BusinessWest April 1, 2024

Breathing a Little Easier
New Treatment for Dangerous Food Allergies Elicits Hope
“I have seen how debilitating food allergies can
be for patients and their loved ones, as they are consumed by the fear of accidental exposure.”
About 3.4 million children and 13.6 million adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed with what’s known as immunoglobulin E-mediated (or IgE-mediated) food allergy, causing reactions ranging from mild to moderate (including hives and swelling) to severe and life-threatening, such as anaphylaxis.
More than 40% of children and more than half of adults with food allergies have experienced a severe reaction at least once, and it is estimated that food-related anaphylaxis results in 30,000 medi- cal events treated in emergency rooms in the U.S. each year.
That’s why so many are encouraged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of Xolair (omalizumab) injection for immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergy in certain adults and children 1 year or older for the reduction of allergic reactions that may occur with accidental exposure to one or more foods.
Xolair was originally approved in 2003 for the treatment of mod- erate to severe persistent allergic asthma in certain patients.
“This newly approved use for Xolair will provide a treatment option to reduce the risk of harmful allergic reactions among cer- tain patients with IgE-mediated food allergies,” said Dr. Kelly Stone, associate director of the Division of Pulmonology, Allergy, and Criti- cal Care in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “While it will not eliminate food allergies or allow patients to con- sume food allergens freely, its repeated use will help reduce the health impact if accidental exposure occurs.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 6% of people in the U.S. in 2021 had a food allergy, and exposure to the particular food (or foods) to which they are allergic can lead to potentially life-threatening allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis.
There is currently no cure for food allergy. Current treatment requires strict avoidance of the food(s) the patient is allergic to and prompt administration of epinephrine to treat anaphylaxis should accidental exposures occur.
Palforzia (peanut allergen powder) is an oral immunotherapy product approved in patients ages 4 to 17 for the mitigation of aller- gic reactions, including anaphylaxis, that may occur with accidental exposure to peanuts, but its benefits are restricted to peanut allergy. Xolair is the first FDA-approved medication to reduce allergic reac- tions to more than one type of food after accidental exposure.
“Over the past 35 years, I have seen how debilitating food aller- gies can be for patients and their loved ones, as they are consumed by the fear of accidental exposure,” said Dr. Robert Wood, director of the Eudowood Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatol- ogy at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and principal investigator of the OUtMATCH study that led to FDA approval.
“While allergic reactions to exposures are common and often severe, there have been limited treatment advancements for food allergy,” he added. “The results of the OUtMATCH study showed that anti-IgE therapy could significantly reduce the occurrence of allergic reactions across multiple foods in the event of an accidental exposure.”
OUtMATCH stands for Omalizumab as Monotherapy and as Adjunct Therapy to Multi-allergen OIT in Food Allergic Children and Adults.
“Living with food allergies has a profound impact on patients and their families, causing significant stress and requiring constant vigilance,” said Dr. R. Sharon Chinthrajah, associate professor of Medicine at Stanford School of Medicine, Sean N. Parker Center
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