A multicenter clinical trial, led by Wanda Phipatanakul, MD, MS, of the Division of Allergy & Immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital, now aims to test whether the anti-IgE drug omalizumab (Xolair) can short-circuit this process.
The randomized, double-blind Preventing Asthma in High Risk Kids (PARK) trial is supported by a seven-year, $20 million Asthma Prevention Grant from the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). By its end, it will enroll 250 wheezy 2- and 3-year-olds with a positive allergy test. The children will receive either Xolair or placebo and will be followed for four years — two years on the treatment, then two years off — to see what proportion of each group develops active asthma as defined by NIAID.
Blocking IgE, on the other hand, could block the immune events that lead to asthma to begin with. IgE antibodies bind to mast cells, which in turn, release histamine and other powerful chemical triggers of allergic reactions. Research by other investigators at Boston Children’s found that mast cells also suppress formation of Treg cells (regulatory T cells that curb the immune response), a double whammy.
The anti-IgE approach has already proven itself in helping children with severe peanut allergy begin to tolerate tiny amounts of peanut protein – enough to safely consume foods that may have traces of peanut.
To inquire about enrollment in the trial at Boston Children’s, email asthma@childrens.harvard.edu or call 857-218-5336. For more information and participating sites nationwide, visit clinicaltrials.gov.