Food & Drug Allergy and GI Disorders Track

Moderators: David R. Stukus, MD, FACAAI and Matthew Greenhawt, MD, MSc, MBA, FACAAI

Prevention

Multiple countries now have recommendations for early allergenic solid food introduction to help prevent food allergy. However, these guidelines differ on what, when and how to introduce, providing conflicting information. Moreover, there are other emerging factors beyond solid food introduction, which are not incorporated in the present guidelines, that may be relevant to the prevention of food allergy. This session will review the evidence to date, discuss guideline discrepancies and present data on the horizon that goes beyond the present guidelines toward where the next breakthroughs may be, to educate attendees about where we stand in our ability to comprehensively help prevent food allergy development.

Assessing Prevalence

Methodologies in how to measure food allergy prevalence differ tremendously among westernized countries. Birth, infant and population-level cohorts are invaluable tools for the study of food allergy across a nationally representative population, in particular to assess the prevalence of food allergy through the use of oral food challenges. However, the US continues to lack such an approach. This session will detail how food allergy prevalence has been assessed using food challenge in 3 large international cohorts.

From the Horse’s Mouth – The FDA Perspective on Treatment and Unmet Needs

This lunchtime discussion will address regulatory aspects of food allergy that impact our patients on a daily basis.

Moderator: Warner W. Carr, MD, FACAAI

Moderators: David R. Stukus, MD, FACAAI and Matthew Greenhawt, MD, MSc, MBA, FACAAI

Treatment

There is a bright horizon for food allergy treatment, with commercial options for peanut allergy anticipated in the next year. Moreover, new approaches are under investigation in the clinical pipeline to help foster evolution in the treatment approach. It is important for parents and providers to understand what treatment options exist, and how to communicate them and foster shared decision-making among patients regarding these options.

Bigger Success Begets Bigger Problems: Issues on the Horizon

With the development of new treatment options, there have been similar innovations made regarding new diagnostic testing to complement older, more established methods. Understanding the relative value, utility and costs associated with these approaches is imperative. Equally important is shaping the conversations with parents and patients, so that providers can anticipate and understand the information that patients are receiving outside of our scope of practice. This session will address these issues that are impacting current and future approaches to management.

Two allergists enter...one leaves. See leading experts in the field debate some of the hottest topics facing the field at present, Texas-style. This session will include three pro-con debates surrounding interesting and controversial topics related to food allergy immunotherapy. With beer! This session is non-CME.

Moderators: David R. Stukus, MD, FACAAI and Matthew Greenhawt, MD, MSc, MBA, FACAAI

This symposium has been designed to aid attendees in their efforts to align their practice with current guidelines and expert recommendations and ensure that they are aware of the full complement of therapeutic options for helping patients manage their food allergies. In doing so, session participants will be better positioned to help patients who have or are at risk for food allergies avoid a lifetime of managing the substantial burden associated with avoiding the allergen and coping with the consequences of accidental exposures.

Moderators: Edwin Kim, MD, FACAAI, and Douglas Jones, MD, FACAAI

With the advent of commercial peanut allergy therapy, making a basic diagnosis of peanut allergy is essential. However, new and emerging diagnostic tests may complicate this process, and clinicians must be up-to-date on the indications for testing, what test to choose and how to interpret these tests. This session will review the current state of peanut allergy diagnostic testing, including potential applications of component testing, and whether diagnostic testing can be used to infer future risk.

Moderators: Jay M. Portnoy, MD, FACAAI, and David B. K. Golden, MD, FACAAI

This session will address the evolution of evidence pertaining to conditions for which allergists play a central role in management. Attendees will hear discussion surrounding new guidelines, new conditions and new approaches to longstanding beliefs.

Moderator: Todd A. Mahr, MD, FACAAI, ACAAI President

This session will provide the allergist/immunologist a perspective on the diversity of food allergy along racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines. There will be particular focus on associations with morbidity and mortality, what diverse families may value regarding food allergy, how they may choose to spend their healthcare dollars and how this may differ from the primarily white, middle class families typically described in food allergy.

Moderators: Cherie Y. Zachary, MD, FACAAI, and Princess Ogbogu, MD, FACAAI

This session will review the newly published jointly developed AGA/AAAAI/ACAAI GRADE-based EoE guidelines discussing the new clinical recommendations and areas of emerging evidence. There will be particular emphasis on how the allergist and gastroenterologist can co-manage this illness.

Moderators: John J. Oppenheimer MD, FACAAI, and Dana V. Wallace, MD, FACAAI