ATLANTA (Feb. 12, 2019) – Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), the largest private funder of food allergy research in the world, announced today that Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, in collaboration with Emory University, is joining the FARE Clinical Network, a food allergy research collaborative comprised of 33 leading research and clinical care facilities across the country.
Launched in 2015, the FARE Clinical Network seeks to accelerate the development of effective approaches to food allergy treatment and improve the quality of patient care for this potentially life-threatening disease affecting 32 million Americans, including 1 in 13 children. More than 40% of children with food allergies have required emergency department care or experienced a severe or life-threatening reaction. According to a recent FARE-supported study analyzing state-by-state data, severe food allergy reactions have climbed dramatically over the last decade, with with food allergy diagnoses increasing 146% in Georgia since 2009.
"Expanding the FARE Clinical Network is critical for increasing access to cutting-edge research and crucial new therapies for food allergy patients,” said Lisa Gable, CEO of FARE. “The results of our study highlight how critical it is for patients that these amazing medical centers have joined our clinical network. We are so pleased to announce our partnership with the dedicated teams at Emory University, Children’s and UW Health in Wisconsin, and we look forward to strengthening our research, clinical care and awareness efforts together.”
Members of the FARE Clinical Network provide high-quality clinical and sub-specialty food allergy expertise and services, and are focused on applying new evidence-based knowledge. They are also a powerful driver of research, serving as sites for clinical trials, the development of best practices for patient care and, in some cases, a national food allergy patient registry.
“Children’s, in collaboration with our research partner Emory University, launched the Food Allergy Program for the study and treatment of food allergy in Atlanta, with the goal of becoming a national leader in food allergy within the next decade,” said Brian Vickery, MD, Director of the Children’s Food Allergy Program and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine. “Being selected to join the FARE Clinical Network will provide key support as we grow the program, and is a tangible honor that indicates progress towards our goal. With food allergies on the rise, our participation will allow us to improve the experience of patients across Georgia and the Southeast, while also contributing to research advances.”