Allergies come in all shapes and sizes ...
Just like allergy sufferers. And they are on the rise. For many people allergies can range from sniffling and sneezing to skin rashes to gastrointestinal issues. A certain percentage, however, have more than these uncomfortable symptoms to deal with. Anaphylaxis, a serious life-threatening reaction, causes approximately 1,500 deaths a year in the United States alone. Clearly, allergies are nothing to sneeze at!
Articles for Advocacy
Are you ready to join a class action suit against “Big Pharma” for trying to monopolize the epinephrine auto-injector market? A recent ruling by a US District Judge said that numerous lawsuits against the marketers and manufacturers of epinephrine auto-injectors may proceed as a nationwide class-action under a federal racketeering statute. Both brand name and generic drug companies allegedly tried to eliminate competition so they could raise prices by 500% or more. This ruling allows all persons and entities in the US who paid or provided reimbursement for Epi-Pens© as of August 24, 2011, to sue for damages under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.
Ruling Allows Millions to Join Lawsuit in Epi-Pen© Racketeering Case
By Dave Bloom
SnackSafely.com
2020/02/28
US District Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled yesterday that numerous lawsuits against the marketer and manufacturer of Epi-Pen© may proceed as a nationwide class-action under a federal racketeering statute. His ruling also allows consumers to sue for damages under state antitrust laws.
You’ve probably heard of the recent advances in Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) where patients are given very small amounts of peanut protein that do not trigger a reaction, and then increasing the dose over time to increase the amount the body can tolerate. A study by researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia found that adding antihistamines and probiotics increase the success rate by 10%. Overall, the study found that the treatment worked in around 70% of children, so it might be worth asking your doctor for more information.
Study: Co-Treatments Like Antihistamines and Probiotics Make Peanut OIT Success in Children More Likely
By News Wire ~ 3rd Party Press Release
2020/02/07
Co-treatments like antihistamines and probiotics make successful de-sensitisation treatment of peanut allergy in children via oral immunotherapy 10 percent more likely, researchers from the University of Adelaide have found.
Speaking of Oral Immunotherapy (OIT), one mother is asking if her son ever passed an oral food challenge, how would she know if this was a reliable result — and not just a good immune system day? An allergist replies that there are many variables that influence the reaction from ingesting an allergen, but he feels confident that it would be safe to add food to the diet if it was shown to be tolerated during an oral food challenge.
How Reliable are Oral Food Challenge Results?
By Dr. Scott Sicherer
February 12, 2020
Q: My son is 16, with multiple food allergies since he was a toddler. Over the years, he’s had four experiences with anaphylaxis, but food errors have mostly been confined to mild reactions. As his reactions vary, my question is: If my son ever passed an oral food challenge, how would he know if this was a reliable result — and not just a good immune system day?
Dr. Sicherer: One reason reaction severity may vary has to do with the amount of the allergen consumed.
For example, a person may have mild or even no symptoms with eating one peanut, but have severe symptoms if 15 peanuts are eaten.
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