NIH Designates $42 Million to Food Allergy Research Group over 7 Years

Today, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced they will award $42 million over seven years to the Consortium of Food Allergy Research (CoFAR). CoFAR was established in 2005 to conduct multi-center clinical trials, observational studies, mechanistic studies and basic research towards further understanding of the best possible treatment approaches for food allergies.

The first year of funding has already been awarded with future awards to be made based on the availability of funds.

CoFAR has conducted a number of studies including:

• Egg Oral Immunotherapy (CoFAR3) opened in July 2007, a 2 year treatment study is investigating the outcome in egg allergic individuals (6 to 18 years) who receive a powdered egg product or placebo by mouth.
• Peanut Sublingual Immunotherapy (CoFAR4) opened in April 2008, a 4 year treatment study is investigating the outcome in peanut allergic individuals (12-40 years) who receive a liquid peanut product or placebo under the tongue.
• EMP-123 (CoFAR1) opened in March 2009, a 7 month first in human Phase I trial investigating the safety and possible side effects of a peanut vaccine in healthy volunteers first and then in peanut allergic subjects (18-40 years).
• Eosinophilic Esophagitis Databank (CoFAR5) opened in April 2011, a one visit study, collecting blood and medical history. The purpose is to investigate the genetic components of Eosinophilc Esophagitis through multiple genetic analyses in subjects 6 months old through 65 years.
• Baked Egg versus Egg Oral Immunotherapy (CoFAR7) opened in June 2013, a 2 year treatment study is investigating the outcome in egg allergic individuals (3 to 16 years) who receive food containing baked egg or a powdered egg product.
• Peanut Epicutaneous Immunotherapy (CoFAR6) opened to enrollment in September 2013 with participation for this study is up to 4 ½ years. The treatment study is investigating the outcome in peanut allergic individuals (4-25 years) who apply a peanut protein patch or placebo patch to the skin.

While we at SnackSafely.com applaud the NIH’s efforts, we believe $42 million in funding over seven years is a mere drop in the proverbial research funding bucket, and that bucket needs to be kept filled.

End Allergies Together (E-A-T) estimates that there is a $400 million annual gap to adequately fund food allergy research. That means the funds must come from somewhere or that research will simply be delayed.

We urge our readers to visit E-A-T’s site, where the founders underwrite all operating expenses so 100% of the proceeds are directly targeted toward critical food allergy research in search of treatments and a cure.