Four million people are unable to tolerate one of the most common food allergies in the U.S. The allergy typically lasts a lifetime and for some, an accidental exposure can be deadly.
Anabelle Terry is doing something that was unimaginable only a few short years ago, eating nuts.
“Her doctor said she would need to have an EpiPen with her wherever we went,” Victoria, Anabelle’s mom, said.
“At school, I had to worry about sitting next to people who had peanut butter sandwiches, PB&J’s, every day,” Anabelle said.
However, a recent study has given Anabelle and her parents new hope.
“This study really looked at preventing accidental ingestions, preventing anaphylaxis, and just making life a little easier and safer for food allergic children,” said Dr. Tina Sindher, an allergist-immunologist at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.
The key is a drug originally designed to treat asthma patients.
“The way that omalizumab or Xolair works is that it binds to your allergy cells, and it takes it out of circulation,” Sindher said.
So, does it work?
“Kids who were reacting to less than a third of a peanut were able to now tolerate more than two and a half whole peanuts without symptoms” explained Sindher.
Then doctors began the second phase.
“You get omalizumab and you also do concurrent oral immunotherapy,” Sindher said.
“After that, she could begin incrementally taking some of the actual nut,” Victoria said.
She didn’t take the drug, took her daily dose of nuts and it worked!
“And then I’m good to go. I can live the rest of my life, and I will be little bit better than I was before,” Anabelle said.
As a result of the study, omalizumab gained FDA approval in February for the treatment of severe allergies. Parents can now ask their child’s doctor about receiving a prescription. It can be used for patients as young as 1 year old.