Kessia Bowen has been dealing with a severe peanut allergy her entire life.
“My parents just watched my face blow up immediately and then took me straight to the hospital,” Bowen said.
“It just can happen in a matter of seconds… It’s quite scary.”
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Three in every 100 Aussie kids suffer from the allergy.
Now, a world-first antibody trial could one day protect people like her from the allergen.
The trial will run nationwide in collaboration with California-based biotechnology leader IgGenix.
Peanut allergies occur when the body’s immune system mistakes peanuts for something harmful, triggering a flood of “bad” antibodies into the body and causing an allergic reaction.
Immunologists have re-engineered those bad antibodies, converting them into allergy blockers.
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CEO of IgGenix Dr Jessica Grossman says that when the blockers are injected, they could potentially protect the patient from future allergic reactions.
“So our antibody therapeutic kind of acts like a heat-seeking missile to latch on to peanut very tightly and not let that peanut go on to cause an allergic reaction in humans.”
With four injections, experts believe they can protect the patient for up to a year.
The Phase 1 trial starts next week and will run nationwide for three months in collaboration with Fiona Stanley Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Monash Health.
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The trial is now open to participants aged 15 to 55 with a clinically diagnosed peanut allergy.
Medical experts are already looking at developing the same treatment for other allergies, starting with shellfish.
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