Current:Home > NewsFDA approves a drug to treat severe food allergies, including milk, eggs and nuts-InfoLens
FDA approves a drug to treat severe food allergies, including milk, eggs and nuts
View Date:2024-12-23 11:06:18
Milk, eggs, walnuts and peanuts — this is not a grocery list, but some of the food allergies that could be more easily tolerated with a newly approved drug.
Xolair, developed by Genentech, was greenlit by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday to help reduce severe allergic reactions brought on by accidental exposure to certain foods. It is considered the first medication approved by the FDA that can help protect people against multiple food allergies.
The medication is not intended for use during an allergic reaction. Instead, it is designed to be taken repeatedly every few weeks to help reduce the risk of reactions over time. The FDA said people taking the drug should continue to avoid foods they are allergic to.
"While it will not eliminate food allergies or allow patients to consume food allergens freely, its repeated use will help reduce the health impact if accidental exposure occurs," said Kelly Stone with the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Some of the most common side effects include fever and a reaction to the injection site. The drug also warns that the medication itself can trigger anaphylaxis. Genentech advises that a heath care provider monitors a person who is starting to use Xolair.
The cost of the medication ranges from $2,900 a month for children and $5,000 a month for adults, though the cost could be brought down with insurance, according to the Associated Press.
As of 2021, about 1 in 16 adults in the U.S. have a food allergy and it impacts women and Black adults at higher rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no current cure for food allergies.
Xolair has already been approved by the FDA to treat some cases of persistent asthma triggered by allergies, chronic hives and chronic inflammatory sinus disease with nasal polyps.
The drug is administered by injection every two or four weeks. Over time, Xolair has proven to help some people tolerate foods they are allergic to, according to a study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
In a trial with 168 patients who were allergic to peanuts and at least two other foods, 68% of people who took Xolair for 4 to 5 months were able to consume about 2.5 peanuts without symptoms like body hives, persistent coughing or vomiting, according to the FDA.
The study also found that Xolair was effective after 4 to 5 months in 67% of people allergic to eggs; 66% of people allergic to milk; and 42% of people allergic to cashews. These results were based on small amounts of each food — a quarter of an egg, two tablespoons of 1% milk and 3.5 cashews, according to Genentech.
veryGood! (81)
Related
- The Daily Money: All about 'Doge.'
- Real Housewives of New Jersey's Melissa Gorga's Summer Essentials Include a Must-Have Melasma Hack
- What to know about Netflix's 'Tell Them You Love Me' documentary
- My day at the ballpark with Mr. and Mrs. Met, the first family of MLB mascots
- Tesla Cybertruck modifications upgrade EV to a sci-fi police vehicle
- 3 Alabama men die after becoming distressed while swimming at Florida beach
- Not just a book: What is a Gutenberg Bible? And why is it relevant 500 years after its printing?
- One man died and five others were hospitalized in downtown St. Louis shooting
- Anti-abortion advocates press Trump for more restrictions as abortion pill sales spike
- Rip currents kill 4 in 48 hours: Panama City Beach on pace to be deadliest in US
Ranking
- Nearly 80,000 pounds of Costco butter recalled for missing 'Contains Milk statement': FDA
- One dead, seven injured after shooting at Kentucky nightclub
- Caeleb Dressel qualifies for another event at Paris Olympics, 'happy to be done' with trials
- 'He's got a swagger to him': QB Jayden Daniels makes strong first impression on Commanders
- Nelly will not face charges after St. Louis casino arrest for drug possession
- Cameron Young shoots the 13th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history at the Travelers Championship
- World's ugliest dog? Meet Wild Thang, the 8-year-old Pekingese who took the 2024 crown
- Travis Kelce's Mom Donna Shares Video of Him Carrying Taylor Swift Onstage at Eras Tour Show
Recommendation
-
John Krasinski Reveals Wife Emily Blunt's Hilarious Response to His Sexiest Man Alive Title
-
Caeleb Dressel's honesty is even more remarkable than his 50 free win at Olympic trials
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Wing Woman (Freestyle)
-
Husband of bride killed in alleged DUI crash on wedding night to receive nearly $1M in settlement
-
'America's flagship' SS United States has departure from Philadelphia to Florida delayed
-
COVID summer wave grows, especially in West, with new variant LB.1 on the rise
-
South Korea summons Russia's ambassador over Moscow's new pact with North as inter-Korean tensions keep rising
-
Flip phone sales are surging as folks seek connection without distraction