Here comes a new drug against food allergies mediated by immunoglobulin E. The Food and Drug Administration, the US agency that regulates the drug market, has approved omalizumab. It’s about the 4% of the adult population, which doubles in children up to 8.
New drug against food allergies: how does it work?
It’s a monoclonal antibodyalready used forallergic asthma for patients who do not see their symptoms relieved with cortisone or for those who suffer from chronic urticaria spontaneous. It was therefore not prescribed for food allergiesbut generally for pollen and contact allergies.
So theThe Italian Medicines Agency has already approved this drug for these two cases. Consequently, a green light is also expected for food allergies extremely quickly. It is a drug with few side effects and in any case mild or moderate.
Taking this drug regularlythe patient sees reduce the consequences of accidentally ingesting the food substance to which he is allergic. Therefore it does not eliminate the allergy, nor does it allow allergy sufferers to be able to consume the food in question.
What are immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergies?
We talk about food allergies mediated by immunoglobulin E or type I allergies, when the immune defenses of the allergic person come into contact with the allergen, they produce specific antibodies, which are called subclass E immunoglobulins.
By creating specific antibodies, the allergic reaction is particularly rapid. It only takes a few seconds or at most a few minutes. The most common symptoms are:
severe swelling, difficulty breathing, skin rash, itching, in more serious cases even anaphylactic shock.
What are the results of the study on the new drug against food allergies?
To convince the FDA experts, the results of the studio OUtMATCH. The researchers analyzed data on 471 patients allergic to eggs, peanuts, cashews and milk. The volunteers took the drug for about 4-5 months. They then each ate a dose of at least 600 milligrams of peanut protein. This is a dose six times higher than that which causes the allergy.
As many as 66% of patients managed to tolerate it well. In the placebo group, only 5% of patients had the same reaction. The stress occurred with the intake of two tablespoons of milk, a quarter of an egg and three and a half cashews.