Submitted via IRC for takyon
New Peanut Allergy Drug Shows ‘Lifesaving’ Potential
[...] The goal of the treatment is not to cure the allergy or enable children to eat peanut butter sandwiches, but to reduce the risk that an accidental exposure to trace amounts will trigger a life-threatening reaction in someone with a severe allergy, and relieve the fear and anxiety that go along with severe peanut allergies.
The results, announced Sunday at a conference of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Seattle, may lead to approval of what could be the first oral medication that ameliorates reactions in children with severe peanut allergies.
After six months of treatment followed by six months of maintenance therapy, two-thirds of the 372 children who received the treatment were able to ingest 600 milligrams or more of peanut protein — the equivalent of two peanuts — without developing allergic symptoms. By contrast, only 4 percent of the 124 children who had been given a placebo powder were able to consume the same amount of peanut without reacting.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by hemocyanin on Tuesday November 20 2018, @02:55AM (6 children)
Just give peanuts to infants. Seriously. Overprotective parents create fragile people: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20171027/Research-Peanut-allergy-in-children-has-increased-2125-since-2010.aspx [news-medical.net]
Also, let them get dirty: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/72/3/236.full [bmj.com]
And quit using anti-microbial soap if you are generally healthy: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/7/7/pdfs/01-7705.pdf [cdc.gov]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Subsentient on Tuesday November 20 2018, @03:11AM (3 children)
Agreed. Expose your children to all sorts of strange foods. I'm serious. It teaches their immune system that the items aren't a threat at an early age.
It's good for them.
I'm really lucky I don't have a peanut allergy, but thanks to people with peanut allergies, I won't eat peanuts in public for fear of setting off a reaction by touching a guard rail and leaving peanut dust. I really love peanuts. I don't begrudge them, but if we don't do something about these allergies, soon there will be many foods that aren't safe to have in public at all.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
(Score: 5, Touché) by takyon on Tuesday November 20 2018, @03:28AM
You're not doing your part to expose more people to peanut dust.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 20 2018, @12:35PM (1 child)
"setting off a reaction by touching a guard rail and leaving peanut dust"
That's not how it works.
(Score: 2) by Subsentient on Wednesday November 21 2018, @08:08AM
Depends on the severity of the allergy.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 20 2018, @04:54AM
On paper, peanuts have some restrictions on what pesticides and herbicides may be used. But their normal crop rotation complement is cotton, which doesn't. So everyone eating peanuts is getting all the funky chemicals from last year's cotton. You brought this on yourselves.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 20 2018, @10:56AM
Who modded this troll?
It's quite insightful actually.
--moondrake
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 20 2018, @03:52AM
Where the hell was the ethics committee on this one?!!
(Score: 2) by nitehawk214 on Tuesday November 20 2018, @05:19PM
The drug has this on the label: This product contains no peanuts, but was manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh