June 2017: Food Allergy News

6/15/2017: Peanut Skin Patch

A study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and led by by Hugh Sampson, MD, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York found that after one year, "researchers assessed each participant’s ability to consume at least 10 times more peanut protein than he or she was able to consume before starting EPIT...The patches were developed and provided by the biopharmaceutical company DBV Technologies under the trade name Viaskin. Each day, study participants applied a new patch to their arm or between their shoulder blades."

http://www.allergyandasthmacare.com/2017/06/index.html

May 2017: Food Allergy News

5/15/2017:  Peanut Allergy Causes Chronic Pain

Even if people don't go into anaphylaxis, chronic pain can be a result of food allergies according to a study conducted by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute at the Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital in Autralia.  The study followed thousands of children since they were one year old through ten years old.  Researchers have found that while many children grow out of their food allergies after they reach the age of four, babies and toddlers can spend their early lives in pain without their parents knowing the specific cause. For example, one child had peanut butter for breakfast every morning, then once that was eliminated the pain the child felt went from 70% to 10%.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-15/food-allergies-may-be-to-blame-for-child-illness-researchers-say/8527708

April 2017: Food Allergy News

4/3/2017:  Lone Star Tick Causes Meat Food Allergy

The adult Lone Star Tick female is distinguished by a white dot or “lone star” on her back and adult females most frequently bite humans to transmit the disease. After the Lone Star Tick bites a person, the bite that contains the carbohydrate "alpha-gal" is transmitted as an enemy invader from the tick's previous blood meal, often a deer. The carbohydrate causes a negative reaction and subsequent allergy in the human body to the carbohydrate alpha-gal which is also present in beef, pork, gelatin (and medical substances such as IV fluid replacements, blood thinners, and replacement heart valves.) Once a person is bitten, their body sees all of these alpha-gal containing foods as enemy invaders, then attacks the invaders causing an allergic reaction. 

https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/wellbeing/this-tick-bite-can-make-you-seriously-allergic-to-meat

March 2017: Food Allergy News

3/20/2017: Epi-Pen Recall

The following batches of EpiPen® 300 Auto-Injectors are being recalled due to the potential that these devices may fail to activate or require increased force to activate.

Batch number		Expiration Date
5FA665		Apr 17
5FA6651		Apr 17
5FA6652		Apr 17
5FA6653		Apr 17

https://allergyfacts.org.au/news-alerts/latest-news/473-recall-of-epipen-300-20-march-2017

February 2017: Food Allergy News

2/14/2017:  Auvi-Q Injector Available

The Auvi-Q epinephrine injector that is smaller and rectangular shaped will be available again on 2/14.  Efforts are being made to make it cost effective if the family has insurance. Those with commercial insurance, including those with high-deductible plans or who make less than $100k annually, will be able to obtain Auvi-Q for $0 out- of-pocket according to the maker.  Else, the cash price is $360 for those without insurance or who earn more thank $100K.  

https://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/blog/press-release-auvi-q-epinephrine-autoinjector-coming-back-in-february-2017-with-new-affordable-plan?utm_source=2016+KFA+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=00482554fd-eNews_Strides_2017_01_19&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c25c5cef21-00482554fd-95267589&mc_cid=00482554fd&mc_eid=19ad3b2eee