Top in allergy/asthma: FDA OKs Xolair; commercial sparks conversation about food allergies

The FDA has approved Xolair for the reduction of allergic reactions in children and adults with immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergy, according to a press release from Roche.

Approval was based on positive data from the phase 3 OUtMATCH study evaluating Xolair (omalizumab) among patients who were allergic to peanut; data showed that 68% of participants treated with omalizumab for 16 to 20 weeks tolerated 600 mg of peanut protein.

Omalizumab is the first and only FDA-approved medicine for the reduction of allergic reactions in people with one or more food allergies, according to the release.

It was the top story in allergy/asthma last week.

Another top story was about a preview of a planned Uber Eats Super Bowl commercial depicting an adult having an allergic reaction to peanut butter. The segment was intended as a joke, and facing backlash from the food allergy community, Uber Eats removed it from the commercial. The event “serves as a reminder of the seriousness of food allergies,” Zahida “Rani” Maskatia,MD, a food allergy specialist and the medical director at Latitude Food Allergy Care, wrote in a Healio commentary.

Read these and more top stories in allergy/asthma below:

FDA approves Xolair for Immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergies

The FDA has approved Xolair 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.

Uber Eats forgets — and then remembers — that food allergies are no joke

A preview of the planned 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 the ingestion of peanut butter. Read more.

Inducible laryngeal obstruction associated with high burden of morbidity, health care use

Researchers identified inducible laryngeal obstruction as associated with a high burden of morbidity and health care utilization, according to study results published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Read more.

Eating, sleeping disorders associated with early childhood anaphylaxis

Children who experienced food-induced anaphylaxis before age 3 years had greater odds for developing eating and sleeping disorders that could persist into adulthood, according to a study published in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. Read more.

Vegetarian diets during pregnancy linked with less atopic dermatitis in children

Vegetarian diets during pregnancy were associated with reduced risks for atopic dermatitis among children, researchers found. Read more.