‘Life-changing’ jab could let millions of people eat foods they’re allergic to without risking a deadly reaction
A LIFE-CHANGING drug could be used to help allergy sufferers avoid deadly reactions to food.
Omalizumab has already been approved in the UK and US as a treatment for severe allergic asthma that can’t be controlled by other medications, under the name Xolair.
A new trial found that children and teens taking Xolair were able to eat foods they were allergic to without experiencing a life-threatening reaction.
People receiving Xolair injections every two to four weeks would be protected from accidental exposure to foods they’re allergic to, the researchers suggested.
Following the study, the US Food and Drug Administration is now considering approving it for a new use, to reduce accidental allergic reactions to food in adults and children over the age of one.
“If approved, Xolair would be the first medicine to reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods following an accidental exposure,” the drug’s manufacturer Roche said in a press release.
The FDA will decide whether to approve this use of the drug in early 2024, Roche added.
If approved to reduce allergic reactions, people taking Xolair would still need to avoid foods they are allergic to, Roche noted.
But they would be protected in the event of accidentally eating the food.
The drug company’s chief medical officer and head of global product development, Levi Garraway, explained that little advancement had been made in treating food allergies, despite them becoming ‘a growing health burden’.
Explaining the reasoning behind their research, study authors said: “The current treatment for food allergy is to avoid eating the foods that may cause an allergic reaction and have medications such as epinephrine in case of a reaction.
“However, accidental exposures can be extremely difficult to avoid, particularly if you are allergic to multiple foods.
“The risks of accidental exposures and life-threatening reactions can place a large burden on patients and their families.”
The study enrolled 165 children and teens aged between one and 17, as well as three adults between the ages of 18 and 55.
All participants were allergic to peanuts, as well as two other common foods like milk, eggs, wheat, cashews, hazelnuts, or walnuts.
They found that study participants who received omalizumab injections could consume higher doses of peanut, egg, milk and cashew without allergic reactions than participants who received placebo injections.
The Food Standards Agency estimated that some two million people are living with a diagnosed food allergy in the UK.
“Food allergies affects between 1-2 per cent of the UK population, with some allergens responsible for hospital admissions with anaphylaxis,” it said.
What are the signs of anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that comes on within minutes of exposure something you’re allergic to, such as
According to the NHS, symptoms include:
- Swelling of your throat and tongue
- Difficulty breathing or breathing very fast
- Difficulty swallowing, tightness in your throat or a hoarse voice
- Wheezing, coughing or noisy breathing
- Feeling tired or confused
- Feeling faint, dizzy or fainting
- Skin that feels cold to the touch
- Blue, grey or pale skin, lips or tongue – if you have brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet
- A rash that’s swollen, raised or itchy
If you’re having an anaphylactic reaction, use your EpiPen or adrenaline auto-injector if you have one.
Next, call 999 for an ambulance and say that you think you’re having an anaphylactic reaction.
You should lie down, raising your legs if you want to. If you’re struggling to breathe, raise your shoulders or sit up slowly.
Try to remove the sting if you’ve been stung by an insect.
If your symptoms have not improved after five minutes, use a second adrenaline pen.