New clinical trial from the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation

Congratulations to the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, which is running a new clinical trial in oral immunotherapy, focusing on children with milk and peanut allergies. The research will investigate whether these allergies can be effectively treated with everyday foods instead of drugs.

The three-year Natasha Clinical Trial is the first major study funded by the Foundation. It will be led by researchers at the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, partnering with Imperial College, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Newcastle University and Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

The study will recruit 216 people between the ages of three and 23 with food allergy to cow’s milk and aged six to 23 with food allergy to peanut.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse tragically died in 2016 after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger baguette. Since Natasha’s death, her parents, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, set up the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and have been raising awareness around food safety. In October 2021, Natasha’s Law came into effect, requiring foods prepared and packed on the same premises they are sold to carry a full list of ingredients with any of the 14 major allergens on the packaging.

Chief Executive of the Anaphylaxis Campaign, Simon Williams, said:

“We would like to congratulate and thank Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse for all the hard work they do to make the world a safer place for the allergic community. This new trial has positive implications for people with severe allergies and their families, and we look forward to hearing what findings are discovered in the trial in due course.”

More details on the trial can be found on the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.