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FDA approves first medication to reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods

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Re: FDA approves first medication to reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods

#11

Post by spondylosaurus »

modeless wrote: post #8

I've been following this closely. I'm most interested in Xolair (and another one, Dupixent) as a way to make oral immunotherapy (OIT) safer and more effective. Xolair can reduce reactions for sure, but it can't get people to the point where they can actually eat normal serving sizes of their food allergens. Oral immunotherapy can do that. And Xolair is a twice monthly injection. Nobody wants to do that for the rest o…

I've been taking Xolair for the last ~4 years for general allergies (with stellar results) and at least for my regimen, it's only once a month, not twice.

My partner was on Dupixent for a while to shrink some nasal polyps—that one is twice a month.

Re: FDA approves first medication to reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods

#13

Post by el_benhameen »

gnicholas wrote: post #7

From what I read of this, it's very expensive (thousands/mo), requires at least monthly injections at a facility, has a risk of anaphylaxis (so the injections can't be done at home), doesn't eliminate the risk of allergic reactions, and has no off-ramp (so you have to take it forever). Not exactly a silver bullet... My first thought was that it could be good for kids, who are less good at checking for trace amounts o…

Right. But the selling point isn’t “start packing pb&js for lunch”, but rather “go to a restaurant for the first time” or “worry less about your kid’s life being at risk from a classmate’s snack”.

Re: FDA approves first medication to reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods

#14

Post by nimbleplum40 »

gnicholas wrote: post #7

From what I read of this, it's very expensive (thousands/mo), requires at least monthly injections at a facility, has a risk of anaphylaxis (so the injections can't be done at home), doesn't eliminate the risk of allergic reactions, and has no off-ramp (so you have to take it forever). Not exactly a silver bullet... My first thought was that it could be good for kids, who are less good at checking for trace amounts o…

Far from a silver bullet, but still exciting as the first medicine of its kind! Accidental exposure happens to pretty much everyone with food allergies, so reducing the risk of anaphylaxis by ~70% is huge and will save lives.

Re: FDA approves first medication to reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods

#15

Post by spondylosaurus »

gnicholas wrote: post #7

From what I read of this, it's very expensive (thousands/mo), requires at least monthly injections at a facility, has a risk of anaphylaxis (so the injections can't be done at home), doesn't eliminate the risk of allergic reactions, and has no off-ramp (so you have to take it forever). Not exactly a silver bullet... My first thought was that it could be good for kids, who are less good at checking for trace amounts o…

Longtime Xolair patient here: as far as cost goes, there are copay programs that knock the price down to $5/mo, but the catch is that you have to be insured (via commercial health insurance, not Medicare/Medicaid) to qualify.

A lot of drug manufacturers offer these programs: the bargain is essentially that they'll cover the brunt of your copay cost so long as your insurance company is still paying for the rest of it. Better to collect a few grand from the insurance company and reimburse the patient for a few hundred than to miss out on the sale entirely.

Re: FDA approves first medication to reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods

#16

Post by modeless »

spondylosaurus wrote: post #11
modeless wrote: post #8

I've been following this closely. I'm most interested in Xolair (and another one, Dupixent) as a way to make oral immunotherapy (OIT) safer and more effective. Xolair can reduce reactions for sure, but it can't get people to the point where they can actually eat normal serving sizes of their food allergens. Oral immunotherapy can do that. And Xolair is a twice monthly injection. Nobody wants to do that for the rest o…

I've been taking Xolair for the last ~4 years for general allergies (with stellar results) and at least for my regimen, it's only once a month, not twice. My partner was on Dupixent for a while to shrink some nasal polyps—that one is twice a month.

Interesting. I looked at a dosage chart and it seems like you do either once or twice a month based on your IgE level determined by a blood test. So it is twice a month for some people.

Re: FDA approves first medication to reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods

#18

Post by monero-xmr »

gnicholas wrote: post #7

From what I read of this, it's very expensive (thousands/mo), requires at least monthly injections at a facility, has a risk of anaphylaxis (so the injections can't be done at home), doesn't eliminate the risk of allergic reactions, and has no off-ramp (so you have to take it forever). Not exactly a silver bullet... My first thought was that it could be good for kids, who are less good at checking for trace amounts o…

It’s annoying to read “so and so new drug costs too much.”

Creating new drugs is absurdly expensive. Most new drugs target small population groups, which is why treatments do not already exist - the low hanging fruit with large market potential gets targeted first.

Just be happy a flag is planted in the ground. New drugs will be created from this that are different enough to avoid the patent, and new research will enhance it and reduce the side effects. This is just the beginning.

Re: FDA approves first medication to reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods

#19

Post by spondylosaurus »

hanniabu wrote: post #3

How would this differ from an epipen?

Xolair works by targeting IgE antibodies, which are the part of your immune system that responds to allergens. The shot essentially neuters those antibodies to prevent them from reacting as often/severely, which dampens your body's allergic response across the board.

(Crucially, IgE antibodies are not the part of your immune system that responds to infectious disease, so anti-IgE meds won't make you immunocompromised in any significant way.)

Re: FDA approves first medication to reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods

#20

Post by spondylosaurus »

modeless wrote: post #16
spondylosaurus wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been taking Xolair for the last ~4 years for general allergies (with stellar results) and at least for my regimen, it's only once a month, not twice. My partner was on Dupixent for a while to shrink some nasal polyps—that one is twice a month.

Interesting. I looked at a dosage chart and it seems like you do either once or twice a month based on your IgE level determined by a blood test. So it is twice a month for some people.

Ah, I do get two shots a month because my IgE was wicked high, but I get them both at the same time. One in each arm!
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