Children taking part in a “life-transforming” clinical trial have been enjoying foods which would have previously triggered severe allergic reactions, doctors have said.
Some of the results have been described as “nothing less than a miracle” and could mean children with milk and peanut allergies could eat larger varieties of food as there will be less concern over accidental exposure.
Five NHS hospitals have so far joined the £2.5m trial, thanks to funding from the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died in 2016 after suffering a severe allergic reaction to sesame baked into a Pret baguette.
Her parents, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, campaigned for a change in food laws and set up the foundation with the hope of curing allergies through research.
The new clinical oral immunotherapy trial uses everyday items and is giving patients small doses of food they find allergic to build up their tolerance levels.
Sibel Sonmez-Ajtai, paediatric allergy consultant and principal investigator at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This treatment is not a cure for a food allergy, but what it achieves is life-transforming.
“To have a patient who has had anaphylaxis to 4mls of milk to then tolerate 90mls within six to eight months is nothing less than a miracle.”
Patient can eat six peanuts a day
Thomas Farmer, 11, who was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy when he was one, can now eat six peanuts a day after joining the trial in Southampton.
His mother Lauren said: “At first, it was very scary for both Thomas and us when he did the food challenge, as we weren’t sure what to expect.
“Knowing that Thomas can now tolerate six peanuts a day has taken away so much anxiety around food.
“It will also hopefully mean that he will be able to eat a wider variety of food as we won’t be so concerned about accidental exposure.
“For Thomas to be able to achieve all this with no medicine, just off-the-shelf foods, is amazing.”
Since joining the trial in Newcastle, five-year-old Grace Fisher, who has a milk allergy, is now drinking 120ml milk a day and will soon be able to eat pizza with her friends.
Her mother Emma said: “She is currently on 120ml of milk and loves her daily hot chocolates.”
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To date, 139 people aged from two to 23 with allergies to peanuts or cow’s milk have started treatment.
The trial is being run at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.
