Welcome to our August research update! Getting involved with research is an important way to impact asthma and allergy treatments, education, and awareness.
This month, we are highlighting clinical trials, interviews, focus groups, and news on:
- Asthma
- Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU)
- Under-the-tongue epinephrine
- Understanding the atopic march
- Alpha-gal (red meat) allergy
- Clinical trials for long COVID
Asthma and Allergy Clinical Trials
Are You Currently Taking Oral Corticosteroids (OCS) for Your Asthma?
Would you like to contribute to important new research? SUNRISE is a clinical study investigating whether a new biologic treatment called tezepelumab may help to reduce or remove the need for OCS in adults with severe asthma. The study is looking for people who:
- Are between 18 and 80 years of age
- Have had an asthma diagnosis for at least 1 year
- Have been taking OCS for asthma for at least 6 months
- Have been using inhaled corticosteroids for at least a year, and a long-acting beta 2-agonist (LABA) for at least 3 months
- Have not been receiving any biologic treatment for asthma for at least 4 months
Sponsored by AstraZeneca
Surveys
Help AAFA Improve Our Programs and Services
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and its Kids with Food Allergies (KFA) division are conducting a brief survey to better understand how we can help improve the quality of life for people with asthma, food allergies and other allergic diseases. We would like to know how you use our programs and services, and what you’d like to see from us in the future.
The survey should take less than 15 minutes to complete. At the end of the survey, you can enter for a chance to receive a reward.
Interviews and Focus Groups
Participants Needed for Asthma Self-Management Study
Researchers at Texas Woman’s University want to learn more about adolescent asthma self-management. The researchers would like to understand the experiences and perspectives of teens and young adults living with asthma. Participants will have a chance to speak about their asthma control, asthma tools, and experiences. The study format will be a private interview. Interviews will take place via Zoom.
Who may qualify to participate in this study?
- Adolescents living with asthma
- 12-21 years old
- English speaker
The study participants will be given:
- $20 Amazon gift card
- Asthma resources
Participation is voluntary. You can stop the sessions at any time. There is a potential risk for loss of confidentiality in all email downloading, electronic meetings, and internet transactions. If you have further questions about the study, please call Elif Isik (PhD, RN) at (713) 794-2109 or email her at eisik@twu.edu.
Now Recruiting Participants for Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) Interviews
AAFA is looking for people who manage chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) to interview for a research project. The interview will provide an opportunity for you to share your firsthand experiences and needs managing CSU. Collected feedback will help AAFA develop and improve our CSU resources.
The discussion should take about 30-45 minutes and can be scheduled at your convenience. If you are chosen to participate in an interview, we will pay you for your time. If you would like to participate in an interview, please take this quick survey to see if you are eligible.
Do You Have Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis (EGE)?
AAFA wants to expand information about eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE)! Please reach out to us if you have experience with EGE and would be interested in learning more about our research opportunities.
Latest Asthma and Allergy Research News
Asthma
Viatris Announces Launch of Breyna™, the First FDA-Approved Generic Version of Symbicort®
Health care company Viatris has announced the launch of a new inhaler called Breyna. Breyna is the first generic version of Symbicort® approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is approved for certain people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The new generic version will give more people living with these conditions access to medicine. Viatris has also established a copay program offered for eligible patients. This copay program may help reduce out-of-pocket expenses on prescriptions to as little as $20 for a 30-day supply.
Allergies
Under-the-Tongue Epinephrine Film, Anaphylm™, Shows Positive Performance Compared to Other Forms of EpinephrineAquestive Therapeutics released topline data from a recent study looking at their product, Anaphylm. Anaphylm is a new form of epinephrine that goes under the tongue. The study tested Anaphylm against other forms of epinephrine. The results shows that Anaphylm worked as well as current forms to deliver epinephrine into the body. The product was also safe and well-tolerated among study participants. Anaphylm will still need to be approved by the FDA before becoming available, but these results are promising for the future of treating severe allergic reactions.
New Study Shows How Allergies Can Progress in Kids
A new study sheds more light on how allergic diseases can progress in children. In the largest study of its kind, researchers used electronic health record (her) data from more than 200,000 patients to look at patterns of allergies in children across the United States. The results validated the pattern of the “allergic march.” This is when allergies first appear as eczema, followed by food allergies, asthma, and environmental allergies. The researchers found that the average peak age of onset was approximately 4 months for eczema, 13 months for anaphylactic food allergies, 13 months for asthma, 26 months for allergic rhinitis, and 35 months for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). The researchers also looked at demographic trends and found that there was a much higher number of Black children with eczema and asthma, a higher number of white children with EoE, and a much lower number of Hispanic children with anaphylactic food allergies. These results are important to highlight patterns for families and doctors to improve diagnosis and treatment in childhood.
Emerging Tick Bite-Associated Meat Allergy Potentially Affects Thousands
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a condition called alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), also known as the red-meat allergy or tick bite meat allergy, is more common than previously thought. Alpha-gal is a sugar found in meat from mammals and products made from mammals. AGS is connected to tick bites. People with AGS can experience various symptoms like rash, digestive problems, breathing difficulties, and more usually a few hours after consuming foods with alpha-gal. Between 2010 and 2022, more than 110,000 suspected cases were identified, but it's estimated that as many as 450,000 people in the U.S. might have been affected. Two studies show that many health care providers aren't aware of AGS and may not know how to diagnose or manage it properly. It's essential for people with symptoms of AGS to see a health care provider who can properly diagnose and manage the condition.
COVID-19
Long COVID Clinical Trial Now Open for Participants
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is starting phase 2 clinical trials to test treatments for the ongoing symptoms that some people experience after getting COVID-19, also known as long COVID. The current trials will test at least four treatments, including medicines, medical devices, and other therapies. This is part of the NIH's RECOVER Initiative, which seeks to understand, treat, and prevent long COVID. The first part of the RECOVER Initiative involved studying people who had COVID-19 to figure out why some have long-term symptoms. This helped them design the new trials, which will test treatments on groups of 100 to 300 participants. Since long COVID can affect many systems of the body and has a wide variety of symptoms, more treatments will be tested in the future to find effective treatments for the different types of long COVID.
It is important to stay up to date on news about asthma and allergies. By joining our community and following our blog, you will receive news about research and treatments. Our community also provides an opportunity to connect with other people who manage these conditions for support.
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