Is Xolair (omalizumab) really "superior" to multi-food oral immunotherapy (OIT)?

Food Allergy and Your Kiddo

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2M ago 32:55

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The world of food allergy treatment has been buzzing with headlines claiming that Xolair (omalizumab) is "superior" to oral immunotherapy for treating multiple food allergies. As a board-certified allergist who both prescribes Xolair and performs multi-food OIT, I'm here to cut through the hype and provide clarity on what these treatments actually offer.
Let me take you behind those headlines to examine the OUtMATCH study that sparked these claims and we will decide whether Xolair truly is superior to OIT.

Links I mention:

Here is the Food Allergy Peds Hub article on this topic, which has the graphic I mentioned.

Here is a link to Dr. Platts-Mills' amazing article.

Regarding OUtMATCH stage 2, the study results are not published (at the time of this publication - my info came from the presentation at the AAAAI 2025 and the photos I snapped of the presentation of the data). Here is the NIH link I mentioned.

Here is my Doximity article on this topic.

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This podcast is the official podcast of the Hoyt Institute of Food Allergy. Information on, within, and associated with this site and Food Allergy and Your Kiddo is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.

Chapters

1. Headline Claims: Xolair Superior to OIT (00:00:00)

2. What is Xolair (Omalizumab) and How It Works (00:03:45)

3. Understanding Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) (00:10:32)

4. The OUtMATCH Study: Aggressive Protocol Problems (00:17:46)

5. Comparing Benefits and Drawbacks of Both Treatments (00:26:17)

6. No "Superior" Treatment: Personalized Decision Making (00:31:27)

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