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A breakthrough study led by scientists at Stanford University and Johns Hopkins University has identified a potential game-changer for children with food allergies: omalizumab, a drug commonly used to treat asthma patients.
Published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, the research suggests that regular use of omalizumab can offer significant protection against severe allergic reactions in children, particularly when they accidentally ingest small amounts of food they are allergic to.
Originally approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for conditions like allergic asthma and chronic hives, omalizumab functions as an injected antibody that binds and deactivates immunoglobulin E (IgE), the molecule responsible for triggering allergies in the blood and immune cells.
The groundbreaking findings have prompted the FDA to approve omalizumab for the reduction of allergic reactions to foods, marking a pivotal moment in the field of allergy treatment.
Lead author of the study, Professor Robert Wood from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, underscored the significance of the discovery, stating, “Patients affected by food allergies live with the constant threat of life-threatening reactions due to accidental exposures. Our study demonstrates that omalizumab can serve as an additional layer of protection against these potentially dangerous situations.”
In the study, which included 177 children with at least three food allergies each, researchers found compelling evidence supporting the efficacy of omalizumab. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either omalizumab injections or a placebo over a 16-week period.
The results were striking: of those who received omalizumab, 79 patients (66.9%) were able to tolerate at least 600 mg of peanut protein—a quantity equivalent to two or three peanuts—compared to only four patients (6.8%) in the placebo group. Similar improvements were observed for other allergenic foods included in the study.
Remarkably, approximately 80% of patients treated with omalizumab could consume small amounts of at least one allergy-triggering food without experiencing an allergic reaction. Furthermore, 69% could tolerate small quantities of two allergenic foods, while 47% showed tolerance to all three.
The study’s findings offer hope for millions of children living with food allergies, providing a potential avenue for managing their condition and mitigating the risk of severe allergic reactions. As omalizumab emerges as a promising therapeutic option, further research is warranted to explore its long-term safety and effectiveness in this context.
