Food allergy
National ADAPT OIT Program and NACE Evaluation Study
ADAPT is an oral immunotherapy program offered at participating hospitals to eligible babies with peanut allergy.
Peanut is the most common cause of childhood food allergy, affecting 3.1 per cent of one year old’s.
An emerging and transformative treatment option is oral immunotherapy (OIT). To help understand more about OIT, the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE) has partnered with 10 paediatric hospitals across Australia to launch the ADAPT OIT Program.
As part of a new model of care, the hospitals offer the free, standardised, peanut OIT program to eligible children under 12 months diagnosed with peanut allergy.
For more information read our ADAPT Program FAQ
ADAPT OIT Program
ADAPT stands for from Allergy Development to an Accelerated Pathway to Tolerance. If families suspect their baby has a peanut allergy, the first step is to visit their GP. The doctor may refer the baby to an allergist at one of the participating hospitals where they can have the allergy confirmed and – if eligible – be introduced to the treatment program. Then, over two-years, the hospital ADAPT teams carefully guide the children through having small and increasing amounts of a peanut powder every day at home. The families have regular check-ups with their ADAPT team in the clinic or via telehealth. At the end of the program, the children avoid peanut for two-months before a food challenge and follow up assessment to test whether they have developed a tolerance to peanut – this is called ‘remission’.
NACE Evaluation Study
The NACE will play a critical role in evaluating the ADAPT OIT Program looking at its safety, effectiveness and acceptability to families, plus changes in quality of life. This will help identify ways to make sure children with peanut allergy have access to the most effective and safe care. Following the Evaluation Study, it is hoped more hospitals and private allergy clinics across Australia introduce the program as a standard model of care for treatment of peanut allergy in young children.
What is OIT?
- OIT is a treatment for food allergies
- OIT is not a cure, but following treatment it may improve the chance of being able to eat a specific food allergen, such as peanut, milk or egg
- Small doses of the allergen are given every day over several months, until a food allergy test is done to see whether the treatment has worked
- Like all treatments, OIT may not be suitable for everyone
Is peanut OIT safe for children?
- Children on OIT can experience some side effects
- Stomach pain or mild to moderate allergic reactions are the most common side effects
- A small number of children might experience an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis and need to use an adrenaline injector (e.g. EpiPen Jr® or Anapen Jr®)
- During OIT, it’s important to follow your child’s ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plan and carry an adrenaline injector
ADAPT OIT Program participating hospitals
- The Royal Children’s Hospital (VIC)
- Queensland Children’s Hospital (QLD)
- Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick (NSW)
- The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (NSW)
- John Hunter Children’s Hospital Newcastle (NSW)
- Campbelltown Hospital (NSW)
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (NSW)
- Perth Children’s Hospital (WA)
- Fiona Stanley Hospital (WA)
- Women’s and Children’s Health Network (SA)
NACE ADAPT Evaluation Study team
- Professor Kirsten Perrett, Chief Principal Investigator and NACE Director
- Dr Tim Brettig, Medical Lead
- Danielle West, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Helen Czech, Clinical Nurse
- Dr Angela Young, Projects and Partnerships Manager
- Harriet Edmund, Communications Manager
Want to take part in allergy research?
Visit the NACE Allergy Studies Directory for a list of drug, food, insect and respiratory allergy studies currently recruiting or active across Australia.
Share your allergy experience
If you live with – or care for someone with – allergies, join the NACE Consumer Engagement Register to help inform how Australian allergy research is conducted and translated.
Proudly in partnership with the National Allergy Council and allergy organisations
