Asthma medicine can prevent risk of food allergy – 02/28/2024 – Equilíbrio

A medicine traditionally used to treat asthma can help protect people from the risks, including fatal ones, of food allergies, according to a study published on Sunday (25) in the specialized journal New England Journal of Medicine.

The randomized research, financed in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the United States, tested the drug Xolair (omalizumab) on 118 children allergic to peanuts and at least one other food, such as milk or eggs.

The test, carried out in ten American medical centers, revealed that, after treatment, 67% of children were able to tolerate a small amount of peanut protein without symptoms. Of the other 59 children who received a placebo, only 7% were able to tolerate it.

The FDA, the United States food and drug regulatory agency, approved, at the beginning of the month, the use of the medicine for food allergies in adults and children from one year of age. More than two decades ago, it was approved for the treatment of allergic asthma.

Scientists caution, however, that the medicine does not guarantee that allergy-prone people can completely let their guard down, and they should continue to try to avoid known allergens. But the drug should, according to scientists, reduce dangerous reactions.

Xolair is administered through injections every two to four weeks, which is not easy for those who are afraid of needles.

But for people who have to live with the constant fear that unintentional consumption of an allergen could result in hospitalization, the treatment could be revolutionary, said Robert Wood, one of the study leaders and a member of the Johns University School of Medicine. Hopkins.

It is estimated that severe allergic reactions cause around 30,000 emergency room visits per year in the United States alone.