IN A world-first initiative, Australian babies with peanut allergies will be offered a treatment program through a new model aimed at transforming allergy care.
Ten paediatric hospitals across five states have partnered with the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE), hosted at Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), to introduce a nationwide peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) program.
The ADAPT OIT Program seeks to shift the treatment approach for peanut allergies from strict avoidance to safely building tolerance and potentially achieving remission.
The free program is available to children under 12 months diagnosed with a peanut allergy and receiving care from an allergist at one of the participating hospitals around the country.
Eligible children will follow a daily dosing schedule of peanut powder at home over two years.
Prof Kirsten Perrett, Director of NACE and Leader of MCRI's Population Allergy Group, stated that the program marks the first standardised peanut allergy treatment in Australian hospitals outside clinical trials.
"Oral immunotherapy is variably implemented worldwide, making it difficult to assess long-term outcomes," said Perrett.
"Our model will standardise treatment, and a food allergy test at the end of the program will determine if remission is achieved," he commented.
To learn more about ADAPT OIT program, CLICK HERE. JG
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