Innovation Fund Denmark has contributed more than €2 million (US$2.08 million) to the project that is led by the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark.
Titled A novel strategy for food allergy prevention and treatment or ALLEVIATE, the four-year project will develop infant formula ingredients for prevention of cow’s milk allergy and a drug candidate for treatment of peanut allergy.
“Our goal is to use a new patented strategy to prevent and treat food allergies, which can overcome the limitations of current methods by being effective but without risk,” project manager and senior researcher Katrine Lindholm Bøgh.
“The products we will develop can improve the lives of children at risk of developing cow’s milk allergy and patients with a peanut allergy.”
There is a big market potential for both product types.
The untapped market for products to treat peanut allergy alone is estimated at more than €4 billion.
By manufacturing the products in Denmark, more jobs would be created both in the dairy industry and within research and development in the biotech sector.
Treating allergies
The cornerstone of the project is the new strategy for prevention and treatment of food allergies, which has been developed at the National Food Institute.
Worldwide, 2.5% of children develop cow’s milk allergy within their first three years of life.
Fortunately, most children outgrow their cow’s milk allergy.
As such it is estimated that approximately 0.3% of the world’s adult population has this type of allergy.
On the other hand, peanut allergy is a persistent disease and approximately 1% of the US population suffers from peanut allergy.
The figure is much lower in Denmark.
The project is budgeted at €3.5 million.
