More than 15 million Americans have food allergies, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. And of those affected by food allergies, six million are children, which can be cause for concern among parents wondering whether they should introduce common allergens into their kids’ diets.
For that reason, Antera Therapeutics, a local startup linked to the Harvard iLab, is developing clinical products meant to help families introduce common allergens to their children in a safe, controlled environment. And on June 1, the venture announced it has raised $1.7 million in seed funding, with RA Capital Management leading the round and being joined by investors Joe Gentile, Martin Madaus and Gil Omenn.
Especially for families already with children who have severe food allergies, exposing prevalent allergens to their newborns can be a stressful situation full of uncertainty. Recent research has shown that early and consistent exposure to peanut protein can reduce children’s risk of peanut allergies by 80 percent. Antera Therapeutics’ first product, Aralyte, addresses peanut allergies in infants, allowing parents to gradually administer peanut protein to their children for early exposure in a safe, physician-approved manner.
“Antera is committed to helping reduce the number of children who develop food allergies, and to ensuring that the parents can use findings from research to inform the way they introduce new foods into their children’s diets,” Clarence Friedman, founder and CEO of Antera Therapeutics, said in a statement. “We focused first on early introduction to peanut allergen since it’s one of the most common allergies globally. In the coming years, we plan on developing methods of helping parents navigate early introduction to a variety of other allergens.”
Aralyte is a series of varying doses of peanut protein that parents can give to their children at home when they are between three and six months old. The first dose, though, is administered in the presence of a physician to guarantee safety and to put parents at ease.
Antera hopes to eventually develop regimens for other common allergens besides peanuts. But the company’s current focus is to launch its Aralyte Start Kits at 100 pediatric allergy clinics throughout the country within the next year.
“Aralyte is a thoughtfully formulated way to implement one of the most significant clinical trial findings to date for the prevention of peanut allergy,” Wayne Shreffler, M.D. and director of the food allergy center at Massachusetts General Hospital, shared in a release. “We’re excited to have a convenient, systematic way to meet this patient need."
