Michael Foods has reached an exclusive egg protein supply agreement with Aimmune Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company that is developing an investigational new drug (IND) for the treatment of egg allergies.
Aimmune Therapeutics, in a press release dated December 20, announced the submission of its investigational new drug (IND) application for AR201, for the potential treatment of egg allergies. Aimmune Therapeutics expects to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial of AR201 for the treatment of egg allergy in 2019.
“The prevalence, severe reactions and difficulty of avoidance associated with egg allergy create an urgent need for treatment, which we are eager to address with our AR201 program. We are extremely pleased to be working with
Jayson Dallas, M.D., president and CEO of Aimmune, stated in the press release. “Michael Foods provides excellent technical and operational capabilities, including an extensive and reliable supply chain for our AR201 starting material. Additionally, they’re committed to our mission to improve the lives of people with food allergies. We look forward to starting the AR201 Phase 2 clinical trial in the coming months.”
According to Aimmune Therapeutics, nearly 6 million people worldwide are allergic to eggs, including 800,000 in
Since eggs are an ingredient in so many foods, it can be especially difficult for people with egg allergy to avoid accidental consumption. Academic studies of the oral immunotherapy approach for egg allergy treatment have shown efficacy, and Aimmune’s AR201 program will study this more broadly, with a biologic drug product, in order to enable widespread availability of a potential treatment, Aimmune Therapeutics stated.
“Food allergies have become a major factor in the food industry and they affect the lives of so many people in our community. We’re thrilled to offer our market leadership and innovation in value-added eggs to help bring a solution to people with egg allergy,” said
Mark Westphal, president of
Aimmune Therapeutics’ agreement with
Aimmune expects AR201, which has not yet been approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (
Michael Foods, a subsidiary of Post Holdings, is the largest supplier of processed eggs in the world. At the conclusion of 2017, according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database, Michael Foods had a flock of 12.18 million hens.