AllergyEasy – a company based in Meza, AZ – is hoping to supplant the allergist entirely from treating certain food allergies, according to their press release issued this weekend.
The company traditionally manufactures solutions used in sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), a therapy where drops containing antigens are placed under the tongue over a period of time to induce an immune response.
Currently, the only forms of SLIT approved by the FDA are tablets for ragweed and grass pollen. The safety and efficacy of allergy drops is still being established by the FDA, and they are only used off-label in the United States.
The company is targeting primary care physicians (PCPs) to help them order allergy scratch test kits. If patients’ test results and medical history indicate allergy, physicians can prescribe sublingual immunotherapy drops from AllergyEasy, either mixing them in-office or ordering them from a compounding pharmacy.
The company press release states that “Shots have not proven successful for food allergies but drops have been shown to be safe and effective for allergies to dairy, nuts, wheat, eggs, fruits, vegetables, soy, and more.” The company also states that, “The AllergyEasy program allows physicians to better serve their allergic patients and increase the revenue of their medical practice.”
We at SnackSafely.com are firm believers that food allergies are serious health issues that often have lifelong consequences. Treatment should remain squarely in the domain of board certified allergists using FDA approved therapies or therapies applied under controlled studies with the goal of obtaining FDA approval.
We believe the treatment of food allergy with “turnkey” systems aimed at the PCP will do little to further the development of safe, effective, proven therapies that doctors and patients can engage with confidence.
Unfortunately, food allergies are not easy
- AllergyEasy Announces Turnkey Treatment to Fill Void from Allergist Shortage – Company Press Release
- Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) – ACAAI
Completely agree- there are too many factors that still need to be overseen by a physician.
It is being overseen by a physician just not an allergist. You didn’t read it. I used them for over a year for pollen and dust mite when I couldn’t handle the shots, they’re pretty safe. If there’s no reaction the first time in the office it’s unlikely there ever will be and you get an epi pen with the drops. Funny you think you should have an opinion about an article you didn’t read and a topic you obviously aren’t familiar with.
I agree that that is not a safe or effective practice. I have studied food desensitization in detail the last 2 years and only now after extreme supervision in the clinic are we conducting these with compounding pharmacy dosing.- Dr. McMahon
You are also wrong. They are very effective and safe and were featured heavily in the most recent AAAAI meeting. I use the drops and they work amazinly well. Only the elderly allergists here won’t use them.
I agree. My allergist has the training and expertise in allergic disease while the PCP does not.
I am a member of the AAAAI and am a younger Allergist. Believe me, I would love it if it worked. However, at this time there is no scientific data that ‘food’ drops without significant escalation works. The AAAAI and ACAAI have focused on sublingual environmental allergies and not foods recently. One also has to really define a food allergy vs an intolerance and not offer false hope to those with true food allergies.