E.A.T. Announces Recipients of First Grand Anaphylaxis Challenge

The holder of an MBA from UCONN, Marc Wolpers is a resident of Greenwich, Connecticut, with a passion for running. In October 2019, Marc Wolpers, together with his children, participated in a 5k run in support of End Allergies Together (E.A.T.), an organization that funds promising research on therapies for people with allergies.

In February 2020, E.A.T. announced the winners of its initial $1 million Grand Anaphylaxis Challenge. The first was a joint research project between Vedanta Biosciences Inc. and Massachusetts General Hospital that evaluated the efficacy of VE416, a novel therapy for restoring immune balance in the intestines. The second was a project by researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital looking at the protective efforts of a recently discovered pathway to stopping anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction to a trigger. The trigger may be a food that a person has consumed, medication he or she has ingested, or environmental exposure to a material such as latex. The most common anaphylactic reaction symptoms include breathing difficulties, throat tightening, dizziness, vomiting, swollen mouth, and hives.

Medical professionals consider anaphylaxis one of the most urgent medical emergencies. Where medical assistance is not sought and received on time, the reaction can be life threatening. E.A.T. recognizes the importance of timely care and protective efforts in the case of anaphylaxis. That is why it is channeling resources toward promising research studies in the area.