Oral immunotherapy appears effective for peanut allergy-more studies needed Oral immunotherapy (OIT) for children’s peanut allergy may be a safe and effective approach, a new study has shown. Findings from the phase 2 trial, published in the Lancet in January, add to accumulating evidence that children can gradually build tolerance by ingesting increasing amounts of peanut protein….
Xolair (omalizumab) approved for chronic hives Chronic urticaria (hives) can be a miserable experience for those that are afflicted. Many patients with this condition suffer from daily, very itchy hives that are difficult to control, often requiring multiple antihistamines and other medications to control their symptoms. For many of these patients, complete control is rarely…
Grastek and Ragwitek, sublingual immunotherapy tablets, approved by FDA The FDA approved the ragweed allergy treatment Ragwitek, the third sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) approval last month. The announcement followed that of Merck’s other SLIT agent, the Timothy grass pollen allergy tablet Grastek, on Tuesday and that of Greer’s multi-grass pollen immunotherapy tablet Oralair earlier in April. While under-the-tongue drops made off-label from…
tudy finds that Vitamin D fails to help asthma patients A recently published multi-center study found that supplemental vitamin D did not help patients with low vitamin D blood levels and symptomatic asthma. The trial, funded by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, failed to demonstrate any benefit of vitamin D on the primary…
Immunotherapy recommended for those allergic to insect stings MILWAUKEE, WI – Warmer weather means more time outdoors, but spending time outside brings with it the chance of coming in contact with stinging insects, which are among the most common triggers of a serious, life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. However, a new paper in The New England…
Epinephrine not always accessible to children with food allergies Surveyed pediatric patients with food allergies, and accompanying parents and families did not always carry self-injectable epinephrine, according to recent survey results. Researchers surveyed patients or families of patients with a documented history of food allergy during a 30-day follow-up period at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital outpatient…
Dairy intake during pregnancy reduced children’s eczema and asthma risks A study in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology examined the effects of dairy intake during pregnancy (Miyake Y. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2014;113:82-87.): Higher maternal intake of total dairy products, cheese, yogurt and calcium during pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk for…
Food avoidance as treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an emerging allergic disorder predominantly triggered by food allergens. Several dietary interventions have been evaluated in adults so far. Based on amino acid-based formulas, elemental diet is the most effective, but is also impractical, whereas elimination diet based on skin testing has shown suboptimal…
Peanut protein in dust may increase allergy risk Babies exposed to traces of peanut protein in house dust may have a higher risk of peanut allergy researchers say. In a new UK study, published online in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, exposure to peanut protein in house dust doubled the chance of having a peanut…
Moisturizing newborn skin may help prevent eczema A recent study by a Japanese institute found that consistently using emollients on newborn babies can prevent atopic dermatitis (eczema) and food allergies later in life. Emollient therapy with newborn babies is an inexpensive and easy way to prevent and treat the increasing global epidemic of eczema and…