Drug/Insect/Latex News

The ongoing shortage of EpiPen supply — now entering its fifth month — has intersected with the high demand for auto-injectors when children return to school.

There is an established link between Lone Star tick bites and red meat allergy, but chiggers — or the Trombiculidae mite — may be another source of immunoglobulin E antibodies that contribute to this allergy, research published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology suggests.

Teenagers who excessively consumed beverages with free, or added, fructose had a fivefold increase in allergy symptoms, according to an analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data recently published in Annals of Family Medicine.

Screening younger siblings of peanut allergic children with allergy testing before peanut introduction was considered controversial in a paper written by Elissa M. Abrams, MD, of the department of pediatrics at the University of Manitoba in Canada and colleagues.

The FDA is taking steps to alleviate EpiPen shortages by extending the expiration date of certain lots of 0.3 mg products by 4 months.

Today, the FDA granted approval to the first generic version of EpiPen and EpiPen Jr autoinjector for treating life-threatening allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis, to insect bites or stings, foods, medications, latex and other causes, in adults and children who weigh more than 33 pounds, according to a press release.

The FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation to the injectable prescription medicine Xolair for preventing severe allergic reactions after accidental exposure to one or more foods in those with allergies, the manufacturer of the drug announced in a press release.

The bites of Lone Star ticks can influence the amount of immunoglobulin A antibodies related to alpha gal a patient may have. An allergy to alpha gal, or mammalian meat allergy, may contribute to many cases of anaphylaxis in teens and adults that would have otherwise been labeled as idiopathic.

The online shopping market for medical products has expanded during the past few years to include products that manufacturers claim can help families introduce peanuts and other common food allergens to children.

Only 48% of adults experiencing a severe allergic reaction used an epinephrine auto-injector, according to findings recently published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.