Viaskin from DBV Technologies
Allergies are on the rise in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control found that, between 1997 to 1999, 3.4 percent of children had food allergies, compared to 5.1 percent between 2009 and 2011.
In response, a number of companies are developing products to help patients manage their conditions. These include immunotherapies to desensitize people, tests to identify allergens in the environment and an app that helps people respond to acute attacks.
Several companies are introducing antigenic proteins to help mitigate allergic responses. Antera Therapeutics’ product, Aralyte, is a peanut protein solution designed to prevent children from developing a peanut allergy. Parents have been feeding their infants small amounts of peanut butter for years to achieve the same effect. CEO and founder Clarence Friedman believes its controlled liquid regimen is more precise, safer and more effective.
Aimmune Therapeutics is going down a similar path, only in powder form, with its AR101 therapy. The goal is to decrease sensitivity, so people aren’t affected by incidental contact. In trials, many allergy patients who could tolerate less than one-fifth of a peanut could manage three or four after several months of treatment.
DBV Technologies uses a patch system to distribute peanut proteins. They are poised to start phase III trials and are also working on patches to address milk and egg allergies.
Alrgn Bio is trying to remove allergenic proteins from peanuts entirely. These nuts still aren’t safe for those with allergies, but are designed to make the overall environment safer and decrease accidental exposure in schools, planes, etc.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
“Our ‘safer peanuts’ are produced with a patented non-GMO process that significantly reduces allergens,” said CEO Kit McQuisten. “The process uses a hot water bath that includes a small amount of food grade enzymes that target the specific proteins in the peanut that cause the most severe reactions.”
On the device side, Windgap Medical is developing a wet/dry epinephrine auto-injector to treat anaphylaxis. The injector stores the drug in its dry form until needed. According to CEO and founder Christopher Stepanian, dry storage keeps the drug stable for longer, even at high temperatures, and the injector is smaller, safer and easier to use than current epipens. Windgap hopes to submit for FDA approval in 2018.
Rescufy app
This week, Rescufy launched its emergency anaphylaxis app, which is displayed on smart phone home screens. When activated, it texts the patient’s street address and GPS coordinates to emergency contacts, dials 9-1- 1 and provides key information for first responders and ER staff.
For adults or children with gluten sensitivities, Nima offers a small, portable device that can test foods in around two minutes. CEO Shireen Yates believes the sensor offers a convenient option, particularly when eating out.
“Food testing kits currently on the market are clunky and difficult to use, take about 10 to 15 minutes and are typically used in the home,” said Yates. “These limitations usually mean that most consumers don’t do their own testing.”
Nima can detect gluten in concentrations as low as 20 ppm and provides a pleasant smiley face graphic if the food is okay. The sensor is currently available.
Featured photo: Nima sensor
