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Xolair for Food Allergy Treatment
Congratulations to the allergy and asthma doctors at The Asthma Center for being selected for Philadelphia Magazine’s Top Doctors in Allergy award! Our food allergy doctors look forward to seeing you in any of our office locations in Philadelphia and South Jersey for the use of Xolair for food allergies.
Many have heard of allergy shots for allergy treatment, but have you heard about biologic drugs? Biologics are a new class of drugs that have revolutionized the treatment of asthma, hives, nasal polyps, and food allergies. The Asthma Center is one of the few doctor offices in metropolitan Philadelphia and South Jersey where biologics are used. Our allergy and asthma doctors have successfully used biologic drugs to treat numerous patients with great results.
What is Xolair? What is Xolair used to treat?
Xolair is a monoclonal antibody biologic drug that was originally approved in 2003 for treatment of moderate to severe asthma and subsequently approved for chronic hives and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. In 2024, Xolair was approved to help treat food allergies.
Can Xolair be used to treat food allergies?
Yes, Xolair can be used to treat food allergies. Xolair was approved in 2024 to help reduce allergic reactions to food(s) after accidental exposure. Xolair is not approved for immediate emergency treatment of allergic food reactions like food-induced anaphylaxis. Individuals with food allergies, even on Xolair, will need to continue adhering to strict food avoidance.
Can Xolair be used to treat milk allergies?
Yes, Xolair can be used to treat milk allergies. An allergy to milk can be determined by a positive food skin test and/or a blood test (positive IgE, not IgG, antibody to milk or milk proteins). If a true allergy to milk is determined, then Xolair can be used to treat milk allergies.
Xolair is not approved for milk intolerance syndromes (e.g. FPIES, cow’s milk protein intolerance syndrome, Heiner’s syndrome, etc.) or lactose intolerance. In the pivotal multicenter clinical trial used for Xolair approval for food allergies, for milk allergic patients after 16 weeks of either Xolair or placebo treatment, 66% of Xolair treated patients were able to tolerate a single dose of 1000 mg or more of milk protein compared to 11% who received placebo treatment. If you think you may have a milk allergy, please see an allergist to diagnose a true milk allergy and determine if Xolair treatment for milk allergies is appropriate.
Can Xolair be used to treat egg allergies?
Yes, Xolair can be used to treat egg allergies. If an individual is truly allergic to eggs with a positive food skin and /or blood tests (positive IgE, not IgG, antibody to egg proteins), Xolair can be used to treat egg allergies. In the pivotal multicenter clinical trial used for Xolair approval for food allergies, for egg allergic patients after 16 weeks of Xolair or placebo treatment, 67% of Xolair treated patients were able to tolerate a single dose of egg protein greater than 1,000 mg, compared to 0% who received placebo treatment for egg allergies. If you think you may have an egg allergy, please see an allergist to diagnose a true egg allergy and determine if Xolair treatment for egg allergies is appropriate.
Can Xolair be used to treat nut allergies? Can Xolair be used for cashew allergies?
Yes, Xolair can be used to treat tree nut allergies, including cashew allergies. If an individual is truly allergic to one or more tree nuts, including cashews, as determined by a positive food skin test and/or blood tests (positive IgE, not IgG, antibody to tree nut proteins or components), Xolair can be used to treat nut allergies. In the pivotal multicenter clinical trial used for Xolair approval for food allergies, cashew allergic patients after 16 weeks of Xolair or placebo treatment , 42% of Xolair treated patients were able to tolerate a single dose of cashew protein (1,000 mg of greater) compared to 3% who received placebo treatment. If you think you may have a nut allergy, including a cashew allergy, please see an allergist to diagnose a true tree nut and determine if Xolair treatment for nut allergies is appropriate.
Can Xolair be used to treat peanut allergies?
Yes, Xolair can be used to treat peanut allergies. If an individual is truly allergic to peanuts, as determined by a positive food skin and/or blood tests (positive IgE, not IgG, antibody to peanut proteins or components), Xolair can be used to treat peanut allergies. In the pivotal multicenter clinical trial used for Xolair approval for food allergies, for peanut allergic patients after 16 weeks of Xolair or placebo treatment, 68% of Xolair treated patients were able to tolerate a single dose of peanut protein (600 mg or more equivalent to 2.5 peanuts) compared to 6% who received placebo treatment. If you think you may have a peanut allergy, please see an allergist to diagnose a peanut allergy and determine if Xolair treatment for peanut allergies is appropriate.
Is Xolair a cure for food allergies?
Unfortunately, Xolair is not a cure for food allergies but Xolair does significantly reduce the risk of serious reactions to accidental exposure to an allergic food(s) in food allergic individuals. Strict food avoidance should still be continued with food allergic patients even when treated with Xolair.
How long does Xolair take to work for food allergies?
Long term longitudinal studies have not been completed yet to determine exactly how long it takes Xolair to work for food allergies. In the clinical trial used to approve Xolair to treat food allergies, the efficacy of Xolair was tested after 16 to 20 weeks, but it’s possible that Xolair may work prior to the 16 weeks, or may even take longer than the 16 to 20 weeks for some patients.
How long do you have to take Xolair for food allergies?
Based on experience from Xolair used for other conditions, the effect of Xolair lasts only for 2 – 4 weeks and is lost if the treatment is interrupted or stopped. On the other hand, many children with food allergies may naturally outgrow their food allergies during their latter childhood and controlled food challenges may be helpful in the future for such children to see if Xolair therapy can be stopped. For most adults who develop food allergies, it is unlikely they outgrow their specific food allergy and Xolair would be a long term treatment.
Where can I get Xolair for food allergies?
Xolair must be prescribed by an expert in food allergies, typically a board certified allergist / immunologist. Xolair must be administered in a medical facility where a trained provider can treat anaphylaxis.
What type of doctor can give Xolair? Can an allergist give Xolair for food allergies?
Xolair for food allergies must be prescribed by a physician. When used to treat food allergies, it is best that Xolair be managed and administered by a board certified allergy doctor (allergist)
How our Food Allergy Doctors in Philadelphia and South Jersey Use Xolair for Food Allergy Treatment
When a patient comes to an allergy doctor in our office, we first evaluate their history of food reactions and then we do food-specific skin and/or blood tests to determine if you have a true food allergy. Then, based on the history and testing results, our food allergy doctors will determine if Xolair is the right choice to treat your allergies. Xolair can be used to treat a variety of food allergies, including peanut allergies, milk allergies, and egg allergies. Our food allergy doctors have extensive experience using Xolair to treat a variety of conditions in our offices in the Philadelphia area and South Jersey.
South Jersey & Philly’s Best Allergy Doctors for Xolair to Treat Food Allergies
As the Philadelphia region’s premier allergy practice, the allergy doctors at The Asthma Center have been providing excellent allergy care to patients for over thirty years. Our doctors are on the cutting edge of treatments for allergies and food allergies, and are leading specialists for using Xolair for a number of conditions in the Philadelphia region and South Jersey. We are proud to congratulate our several allergy doctors who have received Philadelphia Magazine’s award for “Top Doc” in Allergy and Asthma over the last several years.
Our allergy and asthma doctors treat patients for allergies and asthma with biologics in Philadelphia and the South Jersey locations:
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