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Therapeutics in Food Allergy: The Current State of the Art

  • Anaphylaxis and Drug Allergy (P Lieberman and S Spector, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Food allergy is an increasing public health dilemma in Westernized countries, yet no viable treatments are currently available for those who are afflicted. The only options available for patients with food allergies are prevention of reactions by strict avoidance of the offending food(s) and symptomatic treatment of any adverse effects from accidental exposures. Approaches are being pursued to develop treatments, and allergen-specific therapies such as oral immunotherapy, sublingual immunotherapy, and epicutaneous immunotherapy with different foods have shown promise. Other modalities are also being investigated, potentially leading to the discovery of novel therapeutic options.

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Otsu has received an American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology Fellow Travel Grant.

Dr. Fleischer has received grant support from the National Institutes of Health–National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Disclosure

Dr. Fleischer has served as a consultant for Sunovion Pharmaceuticals and has received royalties from UpToDate. Dr. Otsu reported no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA

    Kanao Otsu

  2. Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson Street, J321, Denver, CO, 80206, USA

    David M. Fleischer

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  1. Kanao Otsu
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  2. David M. Fleischer
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Correspondence to David M. Fleischer.

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Otsu, K., Fleischer, D.M. Therapeutics in Food Allergy: The Current State of the Art. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 12, 48–54 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-011-0235-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-011-0235-2

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