Meat eaters who have been sidetracked by a strange tick allergy may have hope in a common medicine. A small study presented at a major allergy conference suggests that the allergy drug omalizumab significantly reduced the frequency or intensity of reactions in 95% of 64 patients with alpha-gal syndrome, the tick-triggered allergy to red meat and certain dairy and gelatinous products, NBC News reports. Participants took the drug, sold under the brand name Xolair, for almost two years on average.
About one in three patients were able to reintroduce at least some red meat into their diet without serious reactions, according to NewsMedical.net. However, researchers say larger, more rigorous trials are needed to find out whether the drug would help most people do the same. A more likely scenario is that people with AGS would still avoid meat but take the drug to protect against accidental exposure. The study, presented at the annual conference of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. AGS is usually caused by a lone star tick bite. Cases have multiplied.
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