‘Natasha’ study examines whether nuts in tiny portions cure allergies

‘We hope that everyday foods can be used as a treatment for allergies at a fraction of the cost’

EATING peanuts and dairy in tiny amounts could cure allergies, a trial set up by the parents of a teenager who died after a severe allergic reaction aims to prove.

Tanya and Nadim Ednan-laperouse launched the trial to investigate whether commonly available peanut and milk products, taken under medical supervision, can be used as a treatment for people with food allergies.

The couple’s 15-year-old daughter, Natasha, died in 2016 after she suffered a severe allergic reaction to sesame in a baguette from Pret a Manger.

The three-year, oral immunotherapy trial, funded by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, will be led by the

University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. The £2.2million trial hopes to show that people with food allergies may no longer have to avoid foods with small amounts of allergens, and may be able to eat foods such as cakes and curries.

Cash for the trial has been raised by the foundation, including from food businesses such as Greggs, Tesco, Just Eat, Co-op, Morrisons, KFC, Sainsbury’s, Costa, Burger King and Pret. In December last year, the NHS backed Palforzia, a treatment to cut the severity of reactions to peanuts. Patients receive a monthly dose, enabling tolerance to be built over time.

In contrast, the trial will look at whether everyday foods can be used to provide treatment. It will recruit 216 people between the ages of three and 23 with an allergy to cow’s milk, and aged six to 23 with an allergy to peanuts. After 12 months of desensitisation under strict medical supervision, those taking part will be followed for two more years. Mr Ednan-laperouse said: “The study aims to plug the oral immunotherapy research gap by proving that everyday foods can be used as a treatment for children and young adults with allergies at a fraction of the cost.”