FAIRFIELD, Conn., Feb. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- End Allergies
Together (E.A.T), a non-profit organization that funds research for
the growing food allergy epidemic affecting approximately 32
million Americans, will award an initial $1
Million investment between two efforts. The first is a joint
project between Vedanta Biosciences, Inc., led by Rose Szabady PhD,
and Massachusetts General Hospital, led
by Wayne Shreffler MD, PhD. It
will evaluate the immune mechanisms involved in and the
effectiveness of VE416, a first-of-its-kind microbiota therapeutic
to restore immune balance in the food allergic intestine. The
second effort, led by Talal Chatila
MD, PhD from Boston Children's Hospital, will look at the
protective effect of targeting a new pathway to stop
anaphylaxis. Both efforts have significant potential for
targeted therapies offering long-term protection against
food-induced anaphylaxis while simultaneously promoting oral immune
tolerance. The awards event hosted by Bank of America Private
Bank will take place on Thursday, February
27 in New York City.
What is anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic
reaction. Various parts of the body can be affected, and
symptoms such as throat tightening or closure, trouble breathing,
swollen mouth, hives, dizziness and vomiting can occur within
minutes or up to two hours after coming into contact with the
allergen. Up to 20 percent of patients have a second wave of
symptoms, called biphasic anaphylaxis, hours or even days after
their initial symptoms have subsided.
The most common anaphylactic reactions are to foods, but
individuals can also react to insect stings, medication and
latex. With the rates of food allergy affliction now at 1 in
10 people in the U.S. and over 250 million worldwide, the rate of
anaphylaxis is increasing. Further, according to the Journal of
Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 39 percent of people with
anaphylaxis may have had idiopathic anaphylaxis, a reaction that
can not be explained by a known trigger.
"Anaphylaxis represents one of the most urgent of medical
emergencies, in which rapid diagnosis and prompt and appropriate
treatment can mean the difference between life and death… Although
there has been steady progress in our understanding especially in
the context of mouse models of the disorder… the basic clinical
management of anaphylaxis has changed little in decades." –
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
The impact of anaphylaxis on the individual and their family can
be significant. "The first time I saw my child have an anaphylactic
reaction, I was changed forever," said Hillary Tolle Carter, Food Allergy Mother and
Advocate. "You can no longer accept that food allergies are
no big deal. It affects every aspect of your life. Every time
food is involved you have to plan ahead, ask questions and be
prepared with safe options for your child. The constant fear of
that next anaphylactic reaction can take a serious toll on the
entire family."
E.A.T launched the Anaphylaxis Challenge in the spring of 2019
and brings together communities invested in preventing or ending
life-threatening anaphylaxis. The Challenge will accelerate
progress by encouraging cooperation among those working within food
allergy and across disease states to seek new and better solutions
to take the life-threatening fear out of allergic
reactions.
Dozens of researchers from private companies and public
institutions entered The Challenge by submitting research business
plans with potential solutions to help detect, prevent and/or
better treat anaphylaxis (other than administering epinephrine).
The award money will serve as seed funding to help accelerate
and advance the research and development required to bring
these promising treatments closer to commercial viability.
Winner: Massachusetts General
Hospital and Vedanta Biosciences, Inc.
"We are grateful for this recognition from E.A.T as we
continue to advance our microbiome-derived product
candidate for the potential treatment of food allergies in
collaboration with Dr. Shreffler," said Rose Szabady Ph.D.,
Associate Director of Immunology, Vedanta Biosciences. "Mounting
scientific evidence suggests that the microbiome plays an important
role in food allergies, and this award recognizes the importance of
further understanding the effects of the microbiota on the human
immune system," continued Szabady. "We believe this work
will shed light on the mechanisms by which our interventions
modulate allergic immune response, and in turn, support continued
development of our product candidate for patients seeking options
other than avoidance."
Winner: Boston Children's Hospital
"We are most honored that our project was chosen by E.A.T's
Panel. By targeting an immune mechanism central to the pathogenesis
of food allergy and anaphylaxis, we aim not only to prevent this
life-threatening complication but also to restore the immune
system's tolerance to the allergenic foods," said Talal Chatila MD, PhD from Boston Children's
Hospital. "We anticipate our studies will help bring forth a novel
set of therapeutics for the treatment of food allergy-related
anaphylaxis to the benefit of the patients and their families."
Honorable Mentions
The Challenge is a multi-year, multi-investment process whereby
E.A.T, in collaboration with its Panelists, will provide funds,
guidance and hands-on support to the most promising efforts. These
include both the immediate awarding of $1
Million to the Winners as well as a commitment to partner
with and consider future funding for a select group of Honorable
Mentions which includes:
- Basar Bilgicer, PhD, University of Notre
Dame; Erik Eglite, Aurinia
Pharmaceuticals, and Mark Kaplan,
Indiana University School of Medicine,
for their allergen specific cHBI approach which inhibits the
allergic reaction to a specific allergen without broad immune
suppression.
- Melanie Dispenza, MD, PhD,
Johns Hopkins University, for her work
in BTK (Bruton's tyrosine kinase) inhibition for preventing
anaphylaxis.
- Maria Curotto de Lafaille, PhD,
and Scott Sicherer, MD, Jaffe Food
Allergy Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, for their work in pro-allergic
memory B cells and pursuing ways to erase food allergy memory.
Dr. Joon Yun, M.D., an E.A.T
Challenge Panelist and president of Palo Alto Investors explains
the benefit of the Challenge model: "Grand Challenges can help
nurture innovations in areas of unmet needs. The excitement
and momentum associated with Grand Challenge competitions can help
attract more attention, people, ideas, and funding to the issues of
life-threatening anaphylaxis and food allergies."
Other distinguished Challenge Panelists include:
- Benjamin Carter, Partner and
Portfolio Manager, Southpoint Capital Advisors
- Marianna Castells, M.D., PhD.,
Harvard Medical School; Brigham and
Women's Hospital
- Eric Edwards, M.D., PhD.,
Founder Kaléo Pharmaceuticals
- Stephen J. Galli, M.D.,
Stanford University School of
Medicine
- Chris Gordon, Managing Director,
Private Equity, Bain Capital
- Ron Laufer, M.D., M.P.H.,
Founder, Acuris Partners
- Thomas Platts-Mills, M.D.,
University of Virginia School of
Medicine.
- Marc Saiontz, Senior Advisor and
former Managing Director at American Securities LLC
"I am extremely grateful to our Panelists who committed immense
time, thought, analysis and heart to this process over the past six
months," said Elise Bates, President
and Cofounder of E.A.T. "With their guidance and expertise,
we have an exciting outcome for this first phase of our Challenge.
Both winners have a clear path ahead based on positive results from
initial animal and human studies."
Kindly hosted by Bank of America Private Bank on Thursday, February 27, the awards event
will feature the winners and their work as well as a discussion
about investing in food allergies with E.A.T Panelists Dr.
Eric Edwards and Dr. Joon Yun as well as a representative from Bank
of America.
To inquire about this event, please email
Tania@endallergiestogether.org
About End Allergies Together (E.A.T)
E.A.T is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused solely on
raising money for food allergy research. E.A.T was cofounded in
2015 by Elise and Greg Bates and Kim and Tom Hall, who have
children with severe food allergies, to help bridge the significant
gap in research funding for this growing epidemic now affecting
nearly 1 in 10 Americans and 250 million people globally. Since
inception, E.A.T has committed to eleven promising research efforts
across thirteen leading institutions.
Press Contacts:
Kriskey + Lane Communications
Susan Kriskey, susan@kriskeylane.com
Marni Lane,
marni@kriskeylane.com
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SOURCE End Allergies Together (E.A.T.)