The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Xolair for reducing food allergy symptoms when used as a pre-treatment before eating, preventing allergic reactions unintentionally triggered by food consumption.
Xolair, also known as omalizumab, is a medication for treating allergic reactions developed since the 1990s. FDA authorized the use of this medication for asthma treatment in 2003, with this approval expanding its usage indications.
Xolair functions by binding to immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to prevent them from attaching to receptors, thereby reducing allergic responses. Efficacy tests conducted on a group of 168 peanut-allergic individuals revealed that 68% of those administered Xolair could tolerate a protein equivalent to 600mg of peanuts (equivalent to 2.5 peanuts) without experiencing moderate to severe allergic reactions. In contrast, only 6% of individuals in the placebo group could tolerate the same amount of peanuts. Interestingly, 17% of the sample group could tolerate peanut proteins before receiving the medication.
Furthermore, studies also showed Xolair’s effectiveness in reducing allergic reactions to mango, milk, and eggs. However, FDA warns that Xolair is not a cure for food allergies, and individuals allergic to these foods should still exercise caution when consuming them in the future.
Source: FDA
TLDR: FDA approves Xolair for reducing food allergy symptoms, cautioning that it is not a cure for allergies and individuals must still be cautious when consuming allergenic foods.
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