Children with peanut and milk allergies show dramatic improvement on trial

Children suffering from peanut and milk allergies are experiencing significant improvements through a pioneering treatment, early trial results suggest. University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust is one of five institutions taking part in the £2.5 million clinical trial, funded by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.

The foundation was established following the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who suffered a fatal allergic reaction to sesame in a Pret a Manger baguette in 2016. Her parents, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, have been instrumental in advocating for stricter food labeling laws and are now focused on finding a cure for allergies through dedicated research.

The “oral immunotherapy (OIT) trial” involves gradually introducing patients to the very foods that trigger their allergies, under strict medical supervision, with the aim of increasing their tolerance. University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust are joined in the trial by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. The trial is set to begin shortly in Scotland, with Bristol and Leeds poised to participate as well.

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Thomas Farmer, aged 11, who was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy at age one, has made remarkable progress and can now consume six peanuts daily after participating in a trial based in Southampton. His mother, Lauren, expressed her relief and excitement: “Having food allergies can be really difficult and isolating … (but) our journey on the Natasha study has been amazing so far.”

She also shared the initial apprehension they felt, adding: “At first, it was very scary for both Thomas and us when he did the food challenge, as we weren’t sure what to expect.”

She continued: “Knowing that Thomas can now tolerate six peanuts a day has taken away so much anxiety around food. It will also hopefully mean that he will be able to eat a wider variety of food as we won’t be so concerned about accidental exposure. For Thomas to be able to achieve all this with no medicine, just off-the-shelf foods, is amazing.”

In Newcastle, five-year-old Grace Fisher, who suffers from a milk allergy, has also seen great improvements since joining the trial. She is now able to drink 120ml of milk each day and will soon be able to enjoy pizza with her friends.

Emma, ​​Grace’s mother, shared her daughter’s success: “Grace is over six months into this journey and is doing amazing. She is currently on 120ml of milk and loves her daily hot chocolates.”

Sibel Sonmez-Ajtai, pediatric allergy consultant and principal investigator at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, described the treatment as “life-transforming” and “miraculous”. She said: “This study is enabling us to do something we would never have dreamed of doing before giving patients the foods we know they are allergic to. This treatment is not a cure for a food allergy, but what it achieves is life-transforming .”

Highlighting the remarkable progress made by patients, she added: “To have a patient who has had anaphylaxis to 4mls of milk to then tolerate 90mls within six to eight months is nothing less than a miracle.”

To date, the trial has welcomed 139 participants ranging from two to 23 years old, all dealing with allergies to peanuts or cow’s milk. Should the three-year trial prove successful, it could bolster the case for treatments using everyday foods to be offered on the NHS. Currently, the NHS funds Palforzia a treatment involving peanut powder capsules that help build a tolerance to peanuts.

Mrs Ednan-Laperouse, Natasha’s mum, said: “We are so happy that some children with peanut and milk allergies are already seeing the benefits of using everyday foods under medical supervision to treat their allergic disease. If Natasha were alive today, this is exactly the type of research she would have loved to be part of.”

She added: “This is a major first step in our mission to make food allergies history. We look forward to seeing the final results.”

Mr Ednan-Laperouse said: “We can’t rely on big pharma and its giant profits to be a game-changer for people living with allergies. That is why we are harnessing the support of the food industry, who have helped fund this trial , to prove that OIT can work with everyday foods, making it more feasible to be available on the NHS.”

The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation is financing the trial through contributions made to the charity from companies including Pret, Lidl, Leon, Uber Eats, Greggs, Tesco, Just Eat, Co-op, Morrisons, KFC, Sainsbury’s, Costa, Burger King, Domino’s , Kellogg’s, M&S, Muller and Waitrose. The complete results are expected in 2027.