Food oral immunotherapy is superior to food avoidance-PRO

Over the last decade much attention has focused on the possibility of using oral immunotherapy (OIT) as a therapeutic approach for treatment of immunoglobulin (Ig) E-mediated food allergies, a disease without a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) –approved disease-modifying therapy. Peanut allergy has been a particular concern because of its persistent nature and association with potentially life-threatening reactions. The OIT literature has been criticized for heterogeneity in trial design with disparities in identification of allergic individuals by double blind placebo-controlled food challenges, differences in desensitization approaches and maintenance doses of allergen, absence of a standardized product, inconsistency in the primary endpoint (eg, desensitization vs sustained unresponsiveness (SU)), a paucity of data on long-te rm effects on quality of life (QOL) and sustainability of therapy, and unproven benefits of therapeutic intervention over avoidance.
Source: Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: Pro/Con Debates Source Type: research