The struggle is real for people living with food or drug allergies. A small slip-up could cause a life-threatening shock that would warrant a trip to the hospital. Fortunately, scientists from Northwestern University have developed a pill that could be taken ardently to prevent mild to severe anaphylaxis, regardless of the cause.
Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially lethal systemic allergic reaction. It can occur within seconds or minutes after exposure to an allergen. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, it happens to about one in 50 Americans, though many believe the rate to be higher.
Furthermore, a condition called anaphylactic shock caused by dangerously low blood pressure could occur during the reaction. Because oxygen is unable to get into the organs, the body could go into shock.
Physicians have always followed the route of first avoiding the allergen to prevent allergic reactions. However, accidents do happen sometimes. The new created by the researcher would be the first-ever known treatment aimed in order to avoid anaphylaxis.
According to Dr. Bruce Bochner, their findings could give way for future human clinical experiments for oral drugs to be used as a preventive treatment for severe allergic reactions. Bochner is a senior author of the study who hails from the Samuel M. Feinberg Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Moreover, he vouches for the pill as he said it could change and save lives. He adds that it could be taken proactively to prevent severe allergic reactions from occurring. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on June 2, 2020.
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How Does the Pill Work?
The drugs involved in the study are known as Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors. BTK is naturally found inside cells, including mast cells. BTK inhibitors work by essentially blocking the BTK enzyme. When inhibited, mast cells cannot be provoked by allergens and allergic antibodies to discharge histamine and other allergic mediators.
In the study, the scientists used three different BTK inhibitors, which closed off allergic reactions when tested on human mast cells inside a test tube. Additionally, the study used one U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved oral medication.
In a new "humanized" mouse design of anaphylaxis, the drug successfully lessened or prevented allergic reactions. Over several months, the mouse's organs that contained transplanted human cells eventually matured into human mast cells. These are the first cells that respond during allergic reactions.
So Much Potential for a Little Pill
Bochner shared that he's heard too many parents say they wished they had their child take something, particularly a medication, while on vacation in case they accidentally ingested food containing an allergen. He says he believes that someday their BTK drugs could serve that purpose.
In addition to that, Bochner said people about to go through oral food desensitization or those who are at high risk of allergic exposures to life-saving antibiotics could take the pill as a preventive measure. If the drugs turn out to be safe and affordable enough for daily use, in a sense, anyone with a serious allergy could take it. Moreover, it might even allow them to eat the foods they've been strictly avoiding, he added.
In the meantime, Bochner said the drug would likely be exclusively used as a preventative measure and not for emergencies, unlike an EpiPen. However, he and his team are considering whether the medication could be reformulated to be added to the EpiPen. He says the team is looking into ways for the drug to be injected along with the epinephrine to determine if it would stop anaphylaxis after it has begun.
