Robert Wood, MD: OUtMATCH Informs Omalizumab Use in Pediatric Food Allergy

Author(s):

Robert Wood, MD, principal investigator of the OUtMATCH trial, offers insight into the trial and its results beyond the primary outcome, with a focus on what it means for patients and providers.

New data from the OUtMATCH trial presented at the 2024 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting is offering allergists, pediatricians, and the rest of the care team further insight into the effects of omalizumab (Xolair) on multiple food allergies in pediatric and adult patients.

Coming just 9 days after the US Food and Drug Administration’s historic approval of omalizumab, results of the trial demonstrate use of the monoclonal anti-IgE antibody from Roche and Genentech was associated with a significantly greater proportion of patients being able to tolerate at least 600 mg of peanut protein, with additional analysis demonstrating benefit for milk, egg, wheat, and tree nuts as well.

“Over the past 35 years, I have seen how debilitating food allergies can be for patients and their loved ones, as they are consumed by the fear of accidental exposure,” said principal investigator Robert Wood, MD, director of the Eudowood Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology at Johns Hopkins Children's Center. “While allergic reactions to exposures are common and often severe, there have been limited treatment advancements for food allergy. The results of the OUtMATCH study showed that anti-IgE therapy could significantly reduce the occurrence of allergic reactions across multiple foods in the event of an accidental exposure.”

Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the phase 3 OUtMATCH trial was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of patients aged 1 to 55 years with a history of allergy to peanuts and at least 2 other foods from a protocol-specified list, which included cashew, milk, egg, walnut, wheat, and hazelnut. The trial randomized 180 patients in a 2:1 ratio to omalizumab or placebo therapy.

Upon analysis, results indicated a statistically significant difference was observed in the proportion of patients who were able to consume at least 600 mg of peanut protein and at least 1,000 mg of milk, egg, and cashew protein without experiencing moderate to severe allergic reactions favoring the omalizumab arm of the trial (P <.001). Analysis of safety outcomes in the trial revealed the incidence and severity of adverse events were similar between the study arms, except for injection site-related events, which were more common among the omalizumab group.

With an interest in learning more about the trial, its results, and how they can help inform uptake of omalizumab in real-world settings, HCPLive Allergy sat down with Wood for further insights.

Relevant disclosures for Wood include Immune, Genentech, Novartis, Regeneron, and others.

References:

_{^{Wood RA, Togias A, Sicherer SH, et al. Omalizumab for the Treatment of Multiple Food Allergies. N Engl J Med. 2024. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2312382}}
_{^{Campbell P. Robert Wood, MD: Impact of omalizumab approval on management of Pediatric Food Allergy. HCP Live. February 22, 2024. Accessed February 25, 2024. https://www.hcplive.com/view/robert-wood-md-impact-of-omalizumab-approval-on-management-of-pediatric-food-allergy.}}
_{^{Roche. New England Journal of Medicine publishes Phase III data showing Xolair significantly reduced allergic reactions across multiple foods in people with food allergies. Roche. February 25, 2024. Accessed February 25, 2024. https://www.roche.com/media/releases/med-cor-2024-02-25.}}