treatment that saves lives

The case of Didac Blasco, a nine-year-old boy from Barcelona, ​​illustrates the importance of advances in the treatment of severe allergies. Didac suffered his first anaphylactic shock 18 months after eating panlet, a Catalan sweet made with pine nuts, which revealed that he was allergic to the nut. Since then, his family has lived in a constant state of alert, always prepared with a shot of adrenaline in case of emergencies.

“It was the fear of our entire lives. Something will happen to you that you never thought would happen and that you will never forget,” recall his parents, Eva and Albert. Fortunately, pine nuts are not a common ingredient in many foods, which allowed Didak’s family to cope with the allergy relatively calmly. However, the high cost and short shelf life of the adrenaline autoinjectors were a constant burden.

Victoria Cardona Dal, president of the anaphylaxis committee of the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC), emphasizes the life-threatening risk posed by anaphylactic reactions and the need for immediate response. “The three most common causes are drugs, food and insect bites,” he explains. A new nasal adrenaline injection called Eurneffy promises to facilitate this emergency. The spray, developed by the American company Ars Pharmaceuticals, has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

New nasal spray

“Delays in diagnosis and treatment of anaphylaxis can be fatal,” the regulator stresses. The EMA highlights that fear of needles and the difficulty of administering an injection in emergency situations are major barriers that the new nasal spray could overcome. The device, which is quickly absorbed through the nasal mucosa, offers a more accessible and less threatening alternative for patients and their caregivers.

Albert Blasco, Didac’s father, details how the family organizes the injections, always having at least two empty spots and training camp monitors with expired syringes. But the cost of these devices, which quickly expire, is a constant concern. “We asked SEAIC to consider these types of drugs essential and fully fund them,” laments Cardona Dahl.

Following EMA approval, the European Commission will authorize the spray to be sold in about two months. ARS Pharmaceuticals will then negotiate the price and terms of public funding. This process could take several months to a year. “We are confident that the price requested by the pharmaceutical company is not very high and that it can be implemented quickly on the market,” adds Cardona Dahl.

Eurneffy, which will come to market as a small device shaped like an inverted Y, promises to revolutionize the treatment of anaphylaxis. Although Didac does not yet meet the minimum weight of 30 kilograms to use this new drug, his parents are confident that he will soon be able to benefit from this innovation, which will make his life and the lives of many other patients safer and easier. @mundiario