Asthma Medication May Help Children with Severe Allergies Safely Eat Nuts and Other Foods
A new study shows that Xolair, commonly used to treat asthma and hives, may allow children with allergies to eat foods that commonly cause reactions
Getty Images; Genentech USA, Inc. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Xolair may help kids with allergies safely eat foods like peanut butter.An existing injectable drug that’s used to treat asthma and chronic hives may provide preventative protection for children with severe food allergies — and potentially make it possible for them to eat peanuts, eggs, and other foods that commonly cause reactions.
Omalizumab — known as Xolair — “significantly increased“ the quantity of food that children and adolescents with food allergies “could consume without an allergic reaction,” according to the results of a study sponsored and funded by the National Institutes of Health’s allergy wing, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
The study followed 165 children, ages 1 to 17, and three adults, ages 18 to 55 years, who were all allergic to peanuts and at least two other foods.
“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 study said.
Genentech USA, Inc. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Xolair injectable medication.Xolair comes in pre-filled syringes, which patients can self-inject into their stomach or upper thighs — or they can have the injection administered in their arm by a caregiver.
According to the CDC, nearly 6% of U.S. adults and children have a food allergy. People of color are more likely to be affected, per a study released this past June.
An allergic reaction is when the immune system reacts abnormally to a foreign substance. FARE, an advocacy organization for people with food allergies, states that more than 170 foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions.
Related: Mom Shows How Scary a Child's Allergic Reaction Can Be: 'We Didn't Realize How Severe It Was'
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to food can range from an itchy mouth to anaphylaxis, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a “severe, life-threatening allergic reaction” where the body goes into shock, and the airways narrow in response.
According to FARE, about 200,000 people seek emergency medical care due to food allergies every year.
A preventative medication such as Xolair could save lives—especially since takeout and prepackaged foods have caused fatal reactions in people who unknowingly consume food containing an ingredient such as nuts.
One teen with food allergies died within an hour and a half after eating a cookie that contained peanut butter chips. Another man died after eating a take-out taco that was made with peanut butter.
Getty Images
An EpiPen can save lives during an allergic reaction.People with food allergies often carry an EpiPen or similar device to provide a lifesaving dose of epinephrine—a chemical that opens up the airways during an allergic reaction.
Related: 13-Year-Old Girl Dies of 'Severe Allergic Reaction' After Accidentally Eating an Unsafe Dessert
Dr. Larry Tsai, global head of respiratory, allergy and infectious disease product development at Genentech, which manufactures Xolair, suffers from food allergies and has a child with food allergies, as well.
He told NBC in an email, “I know firsthand how challenging it is to cope with this condition and to live in continued fear of an accidental exposure.”
Xolair is now under review by the FDA to be prescribed for food allergies.
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