Thermo Fisher Scientific has entered into a nonexclusive deal with Quest Diagnostics to have the nation’s biggest laboratory distribute and market its test for peanut allergies. The assay, known as the ImmunoCAP Peanut Component Test, measures a patient’s level of immunoglobulin e, which is an indicator as to how the person will react to the five peanut proteins that can trigger an allergic reaction. Allergies to a specific protein can give clinicians a clear picture about how severe the allergy might be. The ImmunoCAP test is considered a more accurate indicator of a person’s level of allergy than the skin scratch test, which exposes the patient to a tiny amount of the potential allergen. However, skin testing has its drawbacks: A 2011 study of the method concluded that as many as 75 percent of subjects who test positive do not have a true allergy to peanuts. “Traditional allergy testing measures sensitivity to an entire allergen, but component testing takes the next step by testing for sensitivity to each individual protein in peanuts, some of which cause more severe reactions than others. This gives doctors much more information when making a diagnosis and establishing a treatment plan,” said Robert Reinhart, M.D., […]
Thermo Fisher Scientific has entered into a nonexclusive deal with Quest Diagnostics to have the nation’s biggest laboratory distribute and market its test for peanut allergies.
The assay, known as the ImmunoCAP Peanut Component Test, measures a patient’s level of immunoglobulin e, which is an indicator as to how the person will react to the five peanut proteins that can trigger an allergic reaction. Allergies to a specific protein can give clinicians a clear picture about how severe the allergy might be.
The ImmunoCAP test is considered a more accurate indicator of a person’s level of allergy than the skin scratch test, which exposes the patient to a tiny amount of the potential allergen. However, skin testing has its drawbacks: A 2011 study of the method concluded that as many as 75 percent of subjects who test positive do not have a true allergy to peanuts.
“Traditional allergy testing measures sensitivity to an entire allergen, but component testing takes the next step by testing for sensitivity to each individual protein in peanuts, some of which cause more severe reactions than others. This gives doctors much more information when making a diagnosis and establishing a treatment plan,” said Robert Reinhart, M.D., ThermoFisher’s chief medical officer for its immunodiagnostics division.
Nut allergies are relatively uncommon in the United States, affecting anywhere from one-half to 1 percent of the population. However, the number of people who have such an allergy has been increasing in recent decades among children. Children who are allergic to nuts may die if their allergy is undetected or undiagnosed prior to exposure or consumption.
As a result, Reinhart noted that the demand for accurate allergy testing is on the rise, both from patients and doctors.
Treatment plans for patients determined to be allergic to peanuts include incremental exposures to desensitize the patient’s immune system, although this can pose risks of overexposure to an allergen.
Thermo Fisher officials did not release any projected volumes for the test, which is also being offered by other labs.
Takeway: The laboratory sector is responding to a desire for more accurate and less invasive food allergy testing.
