Food Allergy Research & Education Convenes Global Leaders in Food Allergy for “Partners in Action Day” at Annual International Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Alliance Meeting

Alliance Meeting Brings Together Representatives from 19 Advocacy Groups, Researchers and Industry Leaders

LONDON (Oct. 25, 2017) – Worldwide, at least 220 million people live with food allergy, a potentially life-threatening disease that affects quality of life for millions of families and is a growing global public health issue. As part of their ongoing commitment to combatting this issue, leaders from patient advocacy organizations in 19 countries will come together Oct. 25-26 for the annual meeting of the International Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Alliance, hosted by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).

The 2017 Alliance meeting will be kicked off by “Partners in Action Day,” during which the perspectives of patients, researchers, industry leaders and Alliance member organization leaders will be brought front and center for a dynamic discussion of current issues and research advances.  Representatives from FARE’s Outcomes Research Advisory Board, which includes parents of children with food allergies as well as adults with food allergies, will talk about the work they have done in outlining priorities for food allergy research. Patients and advocates representing the United Kingdom will also join in this discussion.

“Food allergies are a growing global epidemic,” said James R. Baker, Jr., MD, CEO and chief medical officer of FARE. “This opportunity to convene a multi-disciplinary group of leaders representing the worldwide food allergy community is critical to advancing efforts to improve the lives of tens of millions living with this potentially life-threatening disease. It’s also important for the research community as well as the pharmaceutical, food and hospitality industries to hear the perspectives of patients from around the world.”  

This year’s Alliance meeting is being held preceding the Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Meeting (PAAM), a program of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

“Bringing together a mix of patients, patient support groups and diverse health care experts is key to the advancement of our understanding of allergic disease and the management thereof" said George du Toit, professor of Paediatric Allergy at King’s College London and Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. “For example, we have seen a tremendous shift in contemporary paediatric guidelines for feeding infants, and it takes time for new practices to become accepted and adopted in routine practice. These meetings allow an opportunity to exchange ideas and to learn from each other.”

Du Toit is the senior co-investigator on the LEAP studies, co-funded by the National Institutes of Health and FARE, and serves as the chair of the organizing committee for PAAM.

Formed in 1999, the International Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Alliance is comprised of 21 international food allergy and anaphylaxis organizations that work together to exchange information and advance key issues of importance for those affected by food allergies.

The Alliance meeting, will be attended by leaders from patient advocacy organizations in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Qatar, Spain, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States.

The founding members of the Alliance are FARE, Food Allergy Canada, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia, Food Allergy New Zealand and Anaphylaxis Campaign (UK).

For more information about food allergies, visit www.foodallergy.org.