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Created on Friday, 29 May 2020 08:50

Written by ifrpd-foodallergy

FDA Approves Aimmune’s Palforzia OlT, Coming Soon to Allergist Clinics

The Food and Drug Administration on Jan. 31 approved Palforzia, Aimmune Therapeutics’ oral immunotherapy (OIT) treatment for peanut allergy in children and teens.

This marks the first-ever FDA approval of a therapy for any food allergy, and Dr. Jayson Dallas, Aimmune’s president and CEO, called it “a defining moment for the peanut allergy community.”

While not a cure, the idea behind the Palforzia treatment is to gradually desensitize patients, so that an allergic child would no longer risk a potentially life-threatening reaction to a small amount of peanut. It is meant for children and teens between the ages of 4 and 17.

Aimmune announced that the annual price for the therapy will be set at $10,680 (or $890 a month), about the middle of a range it had previously suggested. The company says it will offer a co-pay program to families who, in consultation with their doctor, want to pursue the treatment. There will also be a no-cost patient assistance program for those who qualify.

Dr. Christina Ciaccio, chief of allergy and immunology at the University of Chicago, called the news “a landmark moment.” It means “we can - for the first time - offer children and teens with peanut allergy a proven medicine that employs an established therapeutic approach,” she said.

Lisa Gable, CEO of FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) welcomed the drug approval, making reference to the psychological burden on families managing peanut allergy. “The risk of accidental exposure is real, and we, as a community, have long awaited an option beyond avoiding peanuts alone,” she said.

Advocate Stacey Sturner expressed excitement that Palforzia’s approval marks the beginning to regulated treatments for food allergies, with the prospect of others on the horizon. “More and more families will be presented with a choice beyond food avoidance, representing a tremendous paradigm shift,” said Sturner, founder the Facebook group Food Allergy Treatment Talk, where parents discuss therapy options.

With the FDA’s green light, Aimmune plans to begin seminars to train allergists across the US. on how to administer the treatment.

Chicago allergist Dr. Aaron Donnell told Allergic Living he is among those interested in offering the Palforzia protocol to patients, though it will require considerably more resources in terms of space and physician time.

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Created on Tuesday, 19 May 2020 08:43

Written by ifrpd-foodallergy

Mice study: Green tea shows promise for food allergies

The consumption of green tea may help suppress the immune response which causes allergies, according to a new Japanese study in mice.

In recent years, the number of individuals suffering from allergic diseases has been rising globally. Allergies are thought to be caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle-related, and environmental factors. Both the activation of T-helper-2 (Th2) cell immune responses and the immune regulation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic reactions.

An allergy is an excessive immune response to a specific environmental antigen that normally is tolerated by the general population; the term also has become synonymous with hypersensitivity. Th2 cells are thought to play a key role in the onset of allergic reactions, given that this class of cells produces the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin and induce the differentiation of B cells into plasma cells.

Therefore Tasuku Ogita, from Shinshu University, and his team theorised that oral administration of Flavonifractor plautii (FP) bacteria (found in the gut) may inhibit the Th2 immune response by incorporation into the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) or by inducing changes in the gut microbiota. Thus, FP may be useful in alleviating antigen-induced Th2 immune responses.

FP is a strain of the Clostridia family of bacteria, which is known to have effects on the immune system, notably inhibiting inflammation. Some Clostridia strains show promise of lowering blood pressure and some are known to be abundant in lean people and not in heavier people, leading researchers to believe they can be used to regulate weight.

FP has been reported to be a part of the catechin metabolism in the intestines and catechin is an antioxidant found in a variety of foods including green tea, of which 30 to 42% of its dry weight is catechin.

Ogita, an expert on teas and their effects on gut bacteria, and his team, therefore looked into the influence of green tea.

OVA-sensitized mice were randomly allocated into three groups: OVA-non—sensitized mice (NT group), OVA-sensitized mice orally administered with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS group), and OVA-sensitized mice orally administered with FP (FP group).

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