People with Food Allergies Can Treat Symptoms with Asthma Medication, FDA Decides
New research demonstrates that Xolair, an injectable asthma medication, can reduce severe reactions to peanuts, milk and eggs by dulling an overactive immune response
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Any time people with severe allergies to foods such as peanuts, milk or eggs sit down for a meal—whether at home, a friend’s place or a restaurant—they must pay careful attention to each ingredient they’re eating. Two children in every U.S. classroom and nearly 11 percent of adults have a food allergy and thus must be constantly vigilant. For some, even a trace of the allergen on a fork or spoon could trigger a life-threatening reaction.
Now the drug omalizumab, developed by the company Genentech as an asthma treatment and sold under the name Xolair, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an injectable treatment for certain food allergies. The study that led to approval was published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. It showed that the monoclonal antibody treatment quelled allergic reactions in around two thirds of people with allergies to foods that included peanuts, milk and eggs. The results suggest Xolair won’t completely rid people of their allergies—or make it safe for them to eat those foods in large quantities—but it could provide an important safety net in case of accidental consumption or exposure.
“This drug will reduce the anxiety our patients have around doing everyday things that people without food allergies take for granted,” says Sharon Chinthrajah, an allergist and immunologist at Stanford University and senior author of the study.
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