FDA approves 1st-of-its-kind treatment for severe food allergies
People with severe allergies to foods like milk, peanuts and shellfish will have a new way to ward off dangerous reactions after accidental exposure to the foods. A drug called Xolair (generic name omalizumab) has just been approved for the treatment of multiple severe food allergies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Friday (Feb. 16). The injectable drug is a monoclonal antibody, meaning it contains lab-made proteins that latch on to a specific target in the body. Once inside a person, Xolair grabs hold of immunoglobulin E (IgE), the type of body-made antibody primarily responsible for allergic reactions. Many food allergies are driven by IgE , including those to milk, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish and wheat. (IgE-driven wheat allergy is different from celiac disease , an autoimmune condition driven by other elements of the immune system.) Xolair was previously approved to treat other conditions, including allergic asthma, but its new...