Dive Brief:
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An oral treatment for peanut allergy based on a probiotic strain and modified peanut protein is set to enter an advanced phase of clinical trials, providing hope of a cure for allergy sufferers, Ingredients Network reports.
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Oral immunotherapy specialist Prota Therapeutics has partnered with bioscience firm Chr Hansen to provide the pharmaceutical-grade LGG probiotic strain for its phase III clinical trial. The product’s aim is to retrain the immune system’s response to peanuts and eventually develop tolerance. This would allow allergy sufferers to include peanuts in their diet, rather than simply protect against accidental ingestion, Prota said in a release.
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More than three million Americans have a peanut allergy, and the global market for peanut allergy therapies is predicted to reach $10 billion by 2025. If the trial is successful, Prota hopes a similar approach could be used to target other food allergies.
Dive Insight:
Peanut allergy can be a very serious, even life-threatening condition, and food allergies overall are becoming more common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food allergies among children rose 18% from 1997 to 2007.
Until recently, the only known effective treatment for peanut allergy has been complete avoidance of the edible seed, but research into new approaches and potential treatments has been gaining ground. Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a claim that introducing small amounts of peanut gradually into an infant’s diet may help prevent peanut allergy. However, there is still no cure for the condition once it develops.
A phase III trial is no guarantee of success, but in order to reach this stage, the treatment must have shown significant promise. Research into using specific bacteria like Chr Hansen’s LGG probiotic strain to treat food allergies has recently gained momentum, and the company says it aims to position itself as a partner for “companies wanting to develop new generations of therapeutic microbes”.
For food companies, the rising prevalence of food allergies has led to better labeling of free-from foods, and many are paying greater attention to separation of ingredients and allergen-containing product lines, as well as proper cleaning of equipment. According to Mintel, the number of new products carrying a low, no or reduced allergen claim increased from 11% in 2010 to 28% in 2014.
A treatment for food allergies would not remove the need for food companies to take allergens seriously, but reducing the number of food allergic consumers could reduce the risk of an allergen-related incident.