FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8/25/20LONG BEACH, CA — Parents of children who live with life-threatening food allergies are afraid COVID-19 has put their children’s lives at greater risk. Families are traveling to the Southern California Food Allergy Institute’s (SCFAI) clinical center to receive life-saving treatment in the midst of the pandemic.
“The terrifying thing that people have to live with is this fear of cross-contamination,” said Sara Saak, a New York parent in our Tolerance Induction Program (TIP).
TIP is a proven, precision medicine approach to food allergy treatment. After treatment, children are able to reach remission, meaning they are able to eat whatever they want without the fear of a reaction including the allergic foods they once feared.
We have collected trillions of diagnostic data points of food-allergic patients to understand how food allergies affect children’s immune systems. Using machine learning models built on site, we use each child’s data to create a treatment plan tailored to their specific immune system.
The pandemic has caused significant risk for children who live with food allergies:
- The FDA has relaxed the labeling restrictions toward food products, which now poses a substantial threat to children.
- Epinephrine injectors can have prolonged expiration dates, which we question its accuracy.
- Clinical trials for food allergy are mostly at a complete stop unless it’s regarding COVID-19.
“We are in a situation where those children are still at risk of fatal anaphylaxis,” said Dr. Inderpal Randhawa, Founder, and CEO. Our organization has created a COVID-safe zone and is growing during the pandemic to ensure that new and current patients continue to receive treatment as long as they find a way to physically get to our institute.
Sara Saak’s son, Lincoln is three years old and started TIP in November 2018. Currently they are at a point where they no longer have to be afraid of cross-contamination. Saak says she understands the importance of treatment for her son and plans to travel from New York to continue their treatment.
“We can’t put our lives on hold for an indeterminate amount of time. We just have to do our best to protect ourselves,” said Saak.
To learn more about our Tolerance Induction Program: Website
Impact of TIP: 10,000+ patients | 99% success rate of TIP
About Us:
Our non-profit, the Southern California Food Allergy Institute is a division in the Translational Pulmonary and Immunology Research Center(TPIRC). It is a cutting-edge clinical care and research center that is revolutionizing food allergy treatment. We are dedicated to providing innovative and safe treatment for the six million children in the United States who suffer from food allergies. Our goal is simple — for all children to safely eat whatever they want, in any amount – without the fear of a reaction.
Media Contact: Mark Kriegsman, [email protected]