The Roche medicine may reduce the risk of food allergies to several foods, such as peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, and wheat, in case an individual is unintentionally exposed to these things.
Research released on Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that Xolair is a useful medicine for lowering allergen sensitivities to various foods. The fact that this Roche-made medicine is used to treat asthma is well information. The drug was approved for this specific purpose and for use in adults and children older than one year old by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 16. The acceptance of this measure comes as the number of Americans affected by food allergies continues to rise.
Among the study’s findings is that the treatment significantly increased the tolerance of the children who took part in it to common food allergens such peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, and wheat.
This study’s results show that this treatment “can significantly reduce the occurrence of allergic reactions to several foods in the event of accidental exposure,” according to a press statement sent by Rock’s main author Robert Wood.
This Basel-based pharmaceutical behemoth not only shares U.S. distribution rights for Xolair with Novartis, but it also owns the California-based lab Genentech, which has FDA approval. Omalizumab, the official name for Xolair, is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the activity of antibodies that cause allergic responses.
a future concern that is only going to increase
As an example, 67% of individuals who were actually given omalizumab were able to tolerate 600 mg of peanuts after 16–20 weeks of injections frequently. On the other hand, just 7% of placebo recipients showed tolerance at the same dose. Under the auspices of the US Department of Health, the study included 177 participants ranging in age from one to seventeen years old.
Even if these results are positive, the FDA says that doesn’t mean the receivers should go back to eating allergens. The Food and Drug Administration emphasizes that the objective is to reduce the reaction that happens when allergens are inadvertently consumed.
Her research indicates that fever and injection site responses are the most often reported side effects of Xolair. Xolair has a benign reputation. In 2003, Xolair was given the green light to treat asthma. Fast forward to now, and it’s also approved to treat chronic spontaneous urticaria.
That “food allergies are a growing concern for food safety and public health” in the US is something that can be found on the CDC website. On a national level, they impact around 2% of adults and “between four and eight percent” of children. Over 30,000 people visit emergency departments each year due to food allergies, and 150 people die as a result, according to the authorities.