Welcome to our May research update! Getting involved with research is an important way to impact food allergy treatments, education, and awareness.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and its food allergy division Kids with Food Allergies (KFA) work with doctors, researchers, patients, caregivers, public health, and government agencies to conduct and support research that is important to people affected by asthma and allergies.

Here are current research opportunities you can get involved in as a person with asthma or allergies (or as a caregiver for someone with asthma and allergies):

Surveys

Share Your Experiences with Food Allergies

AAFA is collaborating on a survey with researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital. We are looking to better understand the experiences of children and teens living with food allergies and their caregivers. You can help by taking a 10-minute online survey about your family’s life with food allergies. The results will help us create resources to improve daily life for people with food allergies and their caregivers.

This survey is closing soon! Take the survey to make sure your voice is heard!

SURVEY FOR CAREGIVERS

SURVEY FOR TEENS

Latest News on Food Allergies, Asthma, and Other Allergic Conditions

AAFA Testifies Before FDA on the Importance of Expanding Epinephrine Options
AAFA’s Chief Mission Officer, Melanie Carver, recently testified before the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee (PADAC). The PADAC is currently reviewing a new drug application submitted by ARS Pharmaceuticals Inc., for epinephrine nasal spray. In her testimony, Carver shared data from AAFA’s 2019 My Life with Food Allergy Report to highlight why people with allergies need other epinephrine options, like a nasal spray. The report showed that around 90% of the parents surveyed said their children had experienced at least one severe allergic reaction. Of these parents, nearly three out of four said their child did not get epinephrine to treat the severe allergic reaction, and 42% opted to use an antihistamine instead (which is less likely to reverse the life-threatening symptoms of anaphylaxis). One in 10 (12%) stated that fear of the injection was a reason for not using epinephrine. After deliberation, the advisory committee voted to recommend the approval of neffy®, nasal epinephrine by ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., for both adults and children. The FDA is expected to make a decision on approval later this year.

New Study Shows Positive Results for Epicutaneous Immunotherapy in Toddlers with Peanut Allergy
About 2% of children in the U.S. have peanut allergy, and this number has increased during the past 20 years. There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for peanut allergy in children younger than 4 years old, but research shows that treatment at a young age may be more effective than in older populations. In this study, researchers aimed to see if using a peanut patch could help treat peanut allergy in children between the ages of 1 and 3. This type of treatment has already been proven to be safe and effective in children 4 to 11 years old. Researchers measured the effectiveness of the treatment by testing how much peanut protein it took to cause an allergic reaction after 12 months of using the patch. They found that 67% of the children who received the peanut patch showed improvement compared to only 33.5% who did not receive the peanut patch. Serious side effects were found in both groups, so more research is needed to understand the treatment’s safety. However, these results are promising in the search for new treatments for young children with peanut allergy.

Aquestive Therapeutics Receives Conditional FDA Acceptance of Proprietary Name Anaphylm™ for Lead Candidate AQST-109 (Epinephrine Sublingual Film)
Aquestive Therapeutics announced that the FDA has conditionally accepted the name Anaphylm™ (pronounced “ana-PHYLM”) for their new product. Anaphylm is a new form of epinephrine that is put under the tongue. The name was chosen after getting feedback from patients and branding experts. The company also did a study to make sure doctors and nurses could understand the name and prescribe the product safely. The product is still in development but is designed to treat severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Final approval of the Anaphylm name will depend on FDA approval of the product.

EPA Releases Report Showing Health Impacts of Climate Change on Children in the United States
Climate change is a threat to public health, and children are at higher risk for its negative impacts. A new report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows some of the ways children are especially vulnerable to a variety of health effects from climate change. The study found that climate change is expected to increase the incidence of asthma in children. Specifically, climate-driven changes in air quality are expected to increase asthma cases between 4% and 11% annually.  The study also looked at the health effects of increased pollen. Increases in oak, birch, and grass pollen are projected to increase children’s asthma-related emergency department visits from 17%-30% each year. The findings of the report serve as an important new resource to address the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and improve the health and lives of children.

FDA Approves First Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine
The FDA has approved the first vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for use in the United States. RSV is a highly contagious virus that causes infections of the lungs and breathing passages in individuals of all age groups. In older adults, RSV is a common cause of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD), which affects the lungs and can cause life-threatening pneumonia and bronchiolitis (swelling of the small airway passages in the lungs). The new RSV vaccine is called Arexvy and is approved to prevent LRTD caused by RSV in people 60 and older. Arexvy was approved by the FDA following a clinical study showing the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. The maker of Arexvy, GlaxoSmithKline, will continue to study the vaccine.