Food Allergies Overview
Food allergy is a rapidly growing problem in countries worldwide and brings major health, social and economic impacts.
Urgent Need
About one person in ten is allergic to one or more foods, and many go on to suffer anaphylaxis, a serious, potentially life-threatening reaction.
Food allergies occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly identifies foods as dangerous. Fortunately, fatalities are rare, but food allergy sufferers and their families live in constant fear of an accidental encounter with the food(s) to which they are allergic, severely impacting their quality of life.
Key Stats
1in10
adults in the US have food allergies
1in13
children in the US have food allergies
~$25 billion
annual economic burden in the US
Understanding Food Allergy
Normally, our immune system does not react adversely to foods when we are exposed to them. However, in people who suffer from food allergy, the immune system mistakenly recognises certain foods as potentially dangerous and triggers an adverse immune response against them.
Learn more about allergy symptoms
These adverse responses result from an imbalance between pro-inflammatory and protective T cells that recognize certain proteins (allergens) within the foods, which in turn drives production of specific IgE antibodies against these allergens.
Allergen-specific IgE antibodies then bind to receptors on the surface of specialised allergy effector cells, known as ‘mast cells’, which are present in the tissues of the skin, airways and digestive tract. When the food is eaten, food proteins (allergens) bind to the allergen-specific IgE antibodies on mast cells, causing them to release an array of chemicals such as histamine that cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Allergy Symptoms
Food allergy symptoms can range from mild to severe. Mild to moderate symptoms include itchiness and a rash of the skin to gastrointestinal upset, while severe symptoms such as swelling of the airways, breathing difficulties and critically low blood pressure are classic signs of anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction.
There are limited treatment options for food allergy patients and a need for safer and more convenient treatments. For example, conventional approaches involve treating patients with daily doses of the food they are allergic to. Whilst this can help desensitise patients, they frequently experience allergic reactions during treatment, including anaphylaxis.
Aravax is working to address the urgent need for safer and more convenient treatment options.
Food Allergens
According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the 9 most common food allergens include peanuts (a type of legume), tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soybeans, fish, and shellfish, and sesame.
Although there is a high and growing incidence of food allergies, the past few decades have seen limited improvements in treatments, with only two marketing approved food allergy therapeutics in the US.
Aravax is leveraging its immunology know-how and proprietary platform to develop a pipeline of next-generation immunotherapies to treat food allergies, starting with peanut allergy.
Why We Are Addressing Peanut Allergy as Our Primary Indication
Peanut allergy is one of the most common causes of severe and fatal allergic reactions related to food and results in unpredictable, severe reactions which can be life-threatening. There is a significant burden caused by stress and anxiety, with vigilance and preparedness remaining essential for those affected.
High Prevalence and Growing Incidence
Peanut allergy affects 1-2% children in Western countries, with increasing prevalence and incidence, with more than 1 million children diagnosed in the US.
23%
of children1 in the US reported an Emergency Department visit in the last year due to a food‐allergic reaction
20%
of adults1 in the US reported an Emergency Department visit in the last year due to a food-allergic reaction
~50%
of children2 with peanut allergy in the US have been treated in the Emergency Department for a peanut allergy reaction at some point in their lives
1. Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, et al. The public health impact of parent‐reported childhood food allergies in the United States. Pediatrics. 2018;142(6):e20181235.
2. Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, et al. Prevalence and severity of food allergies among US adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(1):e185630.
