‘AMAZING STEP FORWARD’

Asthma Drug Drastically Reduces Reactions to Food Allergens Like Peanuts

The revelation was announced Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The drug Xolair, which has been used for decades to treat allergic asthma and hives, has been found to have another life-saving use—reducing children’s adverse reactions to food allergens like peanuts, cashews, milk, and eggs. The groundbreaking finding was revealed Sunday in The New England Journal of Medicine, which said that repeated injections of the medication over the course of several weeks can reduce the severity of allergic reactions in instances of accidental exposure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reportedly expanded its approval of the drug last week to account for its new purpose, citing an interim analysis of the study. “This is an amazing step forward in our field,” said Dr. Sharon Chinthrajah, a senior author of the study and an associate professor at Stanford University, in a statement. “There’s so much fear and anxiety that goes into everyday activities for food allergy patients or parents of a food allergy patient.” The statement added that Xolair, which is taken via multiple injections, will now specifically prevent some severe case of anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that sends victims bodies into near-immediate shock.