Recent Peer-Reviewed Publication Supports Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Food Allergies

NEW YORK, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A recent publication in the journal Immunotherapy reviews a variety of immunotherapy platforms for the treatment of food allergies. The article, “Sublingual immunotherapy for food allergy and its future directions,” reviews the potential of Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) options.¹  SLIT for food allergy involves placement of glycerinated allergen under the tongue daily to achieve allergen-specific desensitization. 

According to the authors, SLIT has been studied in the treatment of hazelnut, peach, apple, milk and peanut allergies with substantial focus on the treatment of peanut allergy. Phase II studies have shown SLIT for treatment of peanut allergy increases the tolerated dose of peanut by a substantial margin with fewer and less severe side effects than other modalities.

“We are excited about the publication of this comprehensive review of immunotherapy options for food allergies,” said William Reisacher, MD, Senior Scientific Advisor, Intrommune Therapeutics. “We are confident that allergy desensitization using an oral mucosal immunotherapy (OMIT) toothpaste may deliver specific allergens more effectively than SLIT.”

Intrommune’s lead OMIT product, INT301, is being developed for the treatment of peanut allergies. INT301’s unique OMIT formulation is designed to desensitize an individual with peanut allergy using a toothpaste delivery system, protecting them in the event of accidental peanut exposure.

The authors reference a study by Reisacher, et al., which compares 24 patients receiving either SLIT or OMIT for multiple allergies. In this study, adherence -- which was defined as received over 90% of doses over a 12-month period -- was 80% in OMIT and 62% in SLIT.²

“The use of a patented toothpaste delivery platform is expected to improve allergy immunotherapy by increasing the precision of treatment delivery and promoting treatment adherence,” said Erick Berglund, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer. “OMIT delivers immunotherapy to the oral mucosa, which has the highest likelihood of initiating allergy desensitization. Targeted delivery of medication is expected to decrease the rate of side effects linked to swallowing food allergy proteins, including eosinophilic esophagitis, gastrointestinal discomfort and potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis that requires the use of emergency epinephrine.”

About Peanut and Other Food Allergies
Food allergies affect an estimated 220 million people, including 9 million adults and 6 million children in the U.S. Management of food allergies currently focuses on avoidance of exposure to triggering foods, though many such foods such as peanuts are common ingredients in food products and therefore difficult to avoid. Many people with peanut allergy are accidentally exposed and experience potentially life-threatening reactions, including anaphylaxis, each year.

About Oral Mucosal Immunotherapy
Oral mucosal immunotherapy (OMIT) uses a specially formulated toothpaste to stabilize and deliver allergenic proteins to immunologically active areas of the oral cavity with the greatest potential for allergy desensitization. Success with allergy immunotherapy hinges on consistent exposure of a patient’s immune system to gradually “desensitize” the patient to the specific allergy trigger over time. OMIT promises advantages over other approaches to allergy immunotherapy due to its targeted delivery, simplified administration, and support of reliable, long-term adherence.

About Intrommune Therapeutics
Intrommune, dedicated to improving and protecting the lives of people with food allergy, is developing the revolutionary oral mucosal immunotherapy (OMIT) treatment platform for food allergies. OMIT is a long-term, patient-friendly, disease-modifying solution for the 220 million people, including 9 million adults and 6 million children in the U.S., who suffer from life-altering food allergies. Intrommune’s lead product, INT301, is expected to be a safe, effective and convenient therapy for patients who suffer from peanut allergy.

The Keiretsu Forum, a global investment community of accredited angel investors, has engaged in a thorough diligence process with Intrommune and has issued a positive report. To access this report, please visit: http://www.intrommune.com/keiretsu-dd.

For more information on Intrommune Therapeutics, please visit http://www.intrommune.com 

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1. Sublingual immunotherapy for food allergy and its future directions
   SA Schworer & EH Kim; Immunotherapy (2020) 12(12), 921–931; 
   https://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/10.2217/imt-2020-0123
2. Reisacher WR, Suurna MV, Rochlin K, Bremberg MG, Tropper G. Oral mucosal immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis: a pilot study. Allergy Rhinol. 7(1), 21–28 (2016).
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4837130/