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Improving the Safety of Oral Immunotherapy for Cow's Milk Allergy

Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial to Assess the Effect of a Sublingual Treatment Phase Prior to Oral Immunotherapy in Children With Cow's Milk Allergy

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02216175
Acronym
SOCMA
Enrollment
68
Registered
2014-08-13
Start date
2018-07-19
Completion date
2022-01-19
Last updated
2023-01-18

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Food Allergy

Keywords

Cow's milk allergy, Desensitisation, Safety

Brief summary

Allergy to cow's milk is the most common food allergy affecting children. There is currently no accepted routine clinical therapy to cure milk allergy. Recently studies have attempted to induce desensitisation using small daily doses of cow's milk, predominantly by the oral route (oral immunotherapy, OIT). Although this therapy works for some people, its effects are not generally long lasting and it is associated with significant side effects during protocol, including potentially life-threatening allergic reactions. Pilot data suggests that sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT, where allergen is held under the tongue, rather than swallowed) can also induce a degree of desensitisation, but with fewer adverse events. However, the degree of desensitisation induced appears to be lower than that with oral immunotherapy. The investigators wish to determine whether a sublingual pretreatment phase can improve the safety of conventional OIT in cow's milk allergy.

Interventions

OTHERSLIT to cow's milk

Sublingual immunotherapy

Oral Immunotherapy (low dose)

OTHERConventional OIT to cow's milk

Oral Immunotherapy

Sponsors

JP Moulton Charitable Foundation
CollaboratorOTHER
Sociedad Española de Alergología e Inmunología
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Sociedad Española de Inmunología Clínica, Alergología y Asma Pediátrica
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Imperial College London
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
6 Years to 17 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Allergic to 1.44g CM protein (approx. 40ml fresh milk) or less, at DBPCFC prior to randomisation 2. Informed consent of parent/legal guardian, patient assent where possible

Exclusion criteria

1. Required previous admission to an intensive care unit for management of an allergic reaction. 2. Significant symptoms of non---IgE---mediated CM allergy within the previous 12 months. 3. Children with a past history of CM allergy currently consuming CM-containing products other than extensively--heated milk in baked foods (e.g. biscuits, cakes). 4. Poorly controlled asthma within the previous 3 months (as defined by clinician judgement with reference to the ICON consensus), or asthma requiring treatment with \>5 days oral corticosteroids within the previous 3 months. 5. Moderate---severe eczema, defined as requiring more than once daily application of 1% hydrocortisone as maintenance treatment despite appropriate use of emollients (eczema is not otherwise an

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Adverse events in participants1 yearProportion of participants experiencing adverse events (excluding mild, non-transient symptoms) conventional OIT to cow's milk in phase 2, in those who have received SLIT pretreatment compared to placebo.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Eliciting dose(mg cow's milk protein) at DBPCFC after each phase of immunotherapy1 yearEfficacy defined at Double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) as the proportion of study participants experiencing: * No symptoms (or only mild transient symptoms) to 8 grams CM protein (approx. 250mls fresh milk) (Complete desensitisation) * No symptoms (or only mild transient symptoms) to at least 1.4 grams CM protein (approx. 45mls fresh milk) (Partial desensitisation) * At least a 10--fold increase in eliciting dose (defined as the lowest dose which elicits objective symptoms or signs at challenge). …at 6 and 12 months in the different treatment groups
Change in Health-related quality of life (HRQL) from baseline - assessed using FAQLQ - after each phase of immunotherapy15 monthsChange in HRQL measures at 6, 12 and 15 months from baseline, as assessed in study participants and their parent/carer using the following validated questionnaire: \- Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaires (FAQLQ)
Change in Health-related quality of life (HRQL) from baseline - assessed using FAIM - after each phase of immunotherapy15 monthsChange in HRQL measures at 6, 12 and 15 months from baseline, as assessed in study participants and their parent/carer using the following validated questionnaire: \- Food Allergy Independent Measure (FAIM)
Change in Health-related quality of life (HRQL) from baseline - assessed using Change in EQ-5D from baseline - after each phase of immunotherapy15 monthsChange in HRQL measures at 6, 12 and 15 months from baseline, as assessed in study participants and their parent/carer using the following validated questionnaire: \- EQ-5D - a standardized instrument for use as a measure of health outcome.
Incidence of adverse events1 yearIncidence of adverse events experienced (including rate of withdrawals, and anaphylaxis/adrenaline use during updosing)
Immunological outcomes12 monthsChange in skin prick test wheal (mm), end-point titration skin prick test, allergen-specific IgE (KuA/l) between baseline and post immunotherapy
Immunological outcome: skin prick test12 monthsChange in skin prick test wheal (mm) and end-point titration skin prick test between baseline and post immunotherapy
Immunological outcomes: Allergen-specific IgE12 monthsChange in allergen-specific IgE (KuA/l) between baseline and post immunotherapy
Peptide microarray12 monthsTrend in CM-peptide binding during OIT
Change in self-efficacy after each phase of immunotherapy15 monthsChange in self-efficacy at 6, 12 and 15 months from baseline, as assessed in study participants and their parent/carer using validated questionnaire.

Countries

Spain, United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026