Breakthrough ‘Superior’ Treatment Unveiled for Individuals with Severe Food Allergies | Science, Climate & Tech Update

Individuals dealing with multiple food allergies may soon have an expanded array of treatment choices, thanks to scientists who have found an injectable medication to be a promising solution.

A team of researchers from the US has determined that omalizumab, an injectable treatment, is more effective than oral immunotherapy at preventing allergic reactions in patients with severe food allergies.

According to the Food Standards Agency, approximately 6% of adults in the UK experience food allergies, with peanuts and tree nuts, including hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds, being the most common culprits.

Last year, several NHS hospitals participated in a ‘miracle’ £2.5m trial that enabled children to enjoy foods that previously triggered anaphylaxis, following oral immunotherapy.

In a recent study led by Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, 36% of participants receiving the new injectable medication were able to consume about eight peanuts and two other food allergens by the trial’s conclusion, compared to only 19% in the oral immunotherapy group.

Oral immunotherapy entails gradually ingesting increasing quantities of a food to diminish the allergic response to it.

Conversely, omalizumab works by targeting an antibody known as immunoglobulin E in the bloodstream, preventing it from activating the immune cells that trigger allergic reactions.

This action reduces the cells’ sensitivity to allergen exposure, as noted in the study.

Throughout the research, 177 young individuals and three adults were divided into separate groups.

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One group received an initial dose of omalizumab, which had previously been established to enhance the safety of oral immunotherapy, while a second group received a placebo injection.

The first group proceeded to undergo oral immunotherapy along with placebo injections of omalizumab, while the second group was treated with omalizumab and received a placebo for oral immunotherapy.

By the end of the study, the same proportion of participants in each group could tolerate at least two grams of three foods they were allergic to; however, a significantly higher number of individuals dropped out of the first group before the trial’s completion.

Over half of those who left the first group cited allergic reactions or other intolerable symptoms of immunotherapy as their reason, while none from the second group departed due to such issues.

“This represents the first instance in which we can directly compare these two treatment methods for multiple food allergies, and our findings indicate that omalizumab outperformed oral immunotherapy,” stated Robert Wood, the study’s principal investigator.

The research concluded that omalizumab was more effective than oral immunotherapy due to the high incidence of allergic reactions in patients undergoing immunotherapy.

In the UK, omalizumab is currently employed to treat hives, which cause itchy red rashes, and severe asthma.

Sky News has reached out to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to inquire if omalizumab is under consideration for allergy treatment in the UK, but they were unable to confirm due to the information being “commercially sensitive.”