Boiled Tree Nut for Oral Immunotherapy in Food-allergic Children

NCT06467994 | Recruiting Phase 2

• 1 other identifier: BOLT01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 75
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

As the global prevalence of food allergy steadily increases, tree nut (TN) becomes one of the main triggers of food-allergic reactions and food anaphylaxis. Since there is no effective cure, TN-allergic patients and their families must continue to live with this chronic, disabling condition while avoiding allergens and responding to allergic reactions with emergency treatment. An emerging experimental treatment for food allergy is oral immunotherapy (OIT). Tree nut OIT appears promising in preliminary studies but there are concerns about the high risk of adverse reactions to TNs used in the treatment. The rate of remission with TN OIT is also lacking. Identification of OIT regimes with increased efficacy and safety is urgently needed. The investigators revealed that boiled cashews had lower allergenic potential but retained mast cell reactivity. The aim of this proposed study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of a novel treatment strategy for TN-allergic individuals, whereby the investigators hypothesized that consuming increasing quantities of boiled cashews can induce desensitization/ remission to roasted tree nuts in children with cashew allergies.

Conditions

Food Allergy in Children; Food Allergy

Keywords

food allergy; cashew allergy; tree nuts; oral immunotherapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Proportion of cashew-allergic subjects who by T1 DBPCFC tolerate the full challenge i.e. a cumulative dose of 3180 mg cashew protein

  T1 - One day after final day of maintenance treatment

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Proportion of participants with 8-week sustained unresponsiveness (passed T1 and T2 challenges) in OIT vs placebo groups

  T2 - 8 weeks after final day of maintenance treatment

• The cumulative dose tolerated during the T1 challenge (cumulative doses below the reaction-eliciting dose if there is a reaction; or total cumulative challenge dose if there is no reaction) in OIT vs placebo groups

  T1 - One day after final day of maintenance treatment

• Exposure-adjusted incidence rate and severity of treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in OIT vs placebo groups;

  T1 - One day after final day of maintenance treatment

• SPT wheal size to cashew (at the end of treatment, and at 8 weeks after end of treatment) in OIT vs placebo groups.

  T1 - One day after final day of maintenance treatment

• Cashew-specific IgE levels (at the end of treatment, and at 8 weeks after end of treatment) in OIT vs placebo groups.

  T1 - One day after final day of maintenance treatment

Study Arms (2)

Cashew Oral Immunotherapy

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Oral immunotherapy with boiled cashews followed by roasted cashews taken daily for 12 months

Other: Cashew oral immunotherapy

Placebo Oral Immunotherapy

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Placebo oral immunotherapy taken daily for 12 months

Other: Placebo oral immunotherapy

Interventions

Cashew oral immunotherapy OTHER

Cashew Flour (boiled/ roasted) that is prepared under food manufacturing regulations

Cashew Oral Immunotherapy

Placebo oral immunotherapy OTHER

Placebo oral immunotherapy consists of corn flour with food colouring that has similar appearance, taste and smell to the active product

Placebo Oral Immunotherapy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 3 Years - 17 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Aged between 3 year and 17 years of age;
• Either sex, and of any race and ethnicity;
• \>7kg (the weight considered safe for the administration of an adrenaline autoinjector) (e.g. Jext);
• Confirmed diagnosis of cashew nut allergy as defined by a failed DBPCFC with cashew nut and a positive SPT (\>=3mm than control) or sIgE to cashew nut (of at least 0.35 kUA) at screening.
• Subject's parent and/ or guardian must be able to understand and provide informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• History of severe anaphylaxis (as defined by persistent hypotension, collapse, loss of consciousness, persistent hypoxia or ever needing more than three (3) doses of intramuscular adrenaline or an intravenous adrenaline infusion for management of an allergic reaction)
• Severe anaphylaxis during the study entry DBPCFC (defined as persistent hypotension, collapse, loss of consciousness, persistent hypoxia, or requiring more than 3 doses of intramuscular adrenaline or an intravenous adrenaline infusion for management of an allergic reaction)
• Any disorder in which adrenaline is contraindicated (such as hypertension or cardiac rhythm disorders)
• Reacting to the placebo component during the study entry DBPCFC
• FEV1 \<85% at rest and FEV1/FVC ≤ 85% at rest or ongoing chronic persistent asthma (as per Australian Asthma Foundation guidelines)
• Underlying medical conditions (e.g. cardiac disease) that increase the risks associated with anaphylaxis
• Use of beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors or calcium channel blockers
• Inflammatory intestinal conditions, indwelling catheters, gastrostomies, immune-compromised states, post-cardiac and/or gastrointestinal tract surgery, critically-ill and those requiring prolonged hospitalisation or other conditions that may increase the risks of probiotic associated sepsis
• Have received other food immunotherapy treatment in the preceding 6 months
• Currently taking immunomodulatory therapy (including allergen immunotherapy)
• Therapy with anti-IgE or other biologics within 1 year of enrolment
• Past or current major illness that in the opinion of the Site Investigator may affect the subject's ability to participate in the study e.g. increased risk to the participant
• History of suspected or biopsy-confirmed eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE)
• Subjects who in the opinion of the Site Investigator are unable to follow the protocol NOTE: participants with other food allergies are NOT excluded from participating in this trial.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chinese University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (1)

Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

Related Links

• Related Info

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Food Hypersensitivity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Hypersensitivity; Immune System Diseases

Central Study Contacts

Agnes Leung, MBChB

CONTACT

35052859; agnes.syl@cuhk.edu.hk

Ann Au, APD (DA)

CONTACT

35052829; annwsau@cuhk.edu.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 2
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: QUADRUPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 13, 2024
• First Posted: June 21, 2024
• Study Start: June 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Last Updated: June 21, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-06

Locations

HK (1)