Top 10 food allergy stories of 2024
Key takeaways:
- This year’s top story was a Q&A with Zachary E. Rubin, MD, about omalizumab’s approval for food allergy.
- A controversial Uber Eats Super Bowl commercial generated a lot of discussion.
Although this year brought many advances in the treatment of food allergy, the FDA’s approval of omalizumab dominated our most popular coverage.
Our top stories also focused on the impact of media on food allergy as well as social pressures and bullying.
Check out the list below for our most-read stories about food allergy of the year.
Q&A: FDA-approved omalizumab ‘not a cure’ for food allergy
The FDA has approved omalizumab for use in building tolerance to accidental ingestion of allergens among patients with IgE-mediated food allergy. Healio spoke with Zachary E. Rubin, MD, pediatric allergist and spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, about omalizumab’s limitations and what this approval means for doctors as well as patients. Read more.
Uber Eats forgets – and then remembers – that food allergies are no joke
A preview of an Uber Eats Super Bowl commercial, “Don’t Forget,” sparked condemnation from the food allergy community regarding the depiction of an adult having an allergic reaction to peanut butter. Zahida “Rani” Maskatia,MD, commented on Uber Eats ultimately removing the segment from the commercial and how this event served as a reminder of the seriousness of food allergies. Read more.
Do we need more pharma or more farms to treat food allergies?
Healio Allergy/Asthma Peer Perspective Board Member Douglas H. Jones, MD, asked in his APEX Award-winning column, Food Allergy: Fact vs. Fiction, whether better drugs or food are needed when it comes to food allergy treatment. He breaks down some of the basics of the treatments available and also describes some new ones in the pipeline. Read more.
As spring arrives, watch out for oral allergy syndrome
Douglas H. Jones, MD, also discussed oral allergy syndrome in Food Allergy: Fact vs. Fiction. He talked about treatments and triggers — and how allergists can identify these triggers during consultations. Read more.
FDA approves Xolair for Immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergies
The FDA approved Xolair (omalizumab; Genentech, Novartis) for the reduction of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, that may occur with exposure to one or more foods in children and adults with immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergy. Read more.
FDA approves dupilumab for children with eosinophilic esophagitis
The FDA approved the use of dupilumab (Dupixent; Regeneron, Sanofi) for treating eosinophilic esophagitis in children aged 1 to 11 years who weigh at least 15 kg. Marc E. Rothenberg, MD, PhD, shares his Perspective on the impacts of this approval. Read more.
More than one-third of children with food allergy report bullying
Food allergy-related bullying is common, with particular subgroups of children possibly at higher risk, according to study results presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting. It was most common among children aged 5 to 17 years. Read more.
Changes in antibody levels may predict outgrowing of peanut allergies in children
Decreases in peanut specific IgE and specific IgG4 and Ara h 2 over time were associated with natural resolution of peanut allergy in a third of children by age 10 years, according to a study published in Allergy. Kayla M. Parker, BSc, explained the results. Jaspreet Dhami, MD, shared her Perspective. Read more.
VIDEO: Omalizumab gives families with food allergy ‘some hope’ for normal lives
After Robert Wood, MD, FAAAAI, recounted the results of the OUtMATCH study supporting the FDA’s approval of omalizumab for food allergy to a standing-room-only crowd at the AAAAI Annual Meeting, Healio spoke with study coauthor Ahmar Iqbal, MD, about the study results. Watch the video here.
Q&A: Super Bowl ad indicates need for more allergy education
Following Uber Eats’ preview of their Super Bowl commercial, which included a person with a peanut allergy and subsequent removal of this segment following backlash, Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, commented on the effects that depictions of food allergy in the media can have on patients and what physicians can do to improve outcomes. Read more.