Alerje Announces Phase 1 SBIR Grant Award From The National Science Foundation (NSF), Simplifying Food Allergy Oral Immunotherapy (OIT)

The SBIR Grant will support developing a digital platform for OIT regimens that builds a bridge between patients, allergists, and pharma.

DETROIT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alerje, a Detroit based company that develops digital tools for food allergy management, announced today the receipt of a Phase I grant under auspices of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program of the National Science Foundation. The grant will be utilized to develop an OIT platform that collects, stores, analyses, and distributes clinically relevant data to build a bridge between patients, allergists, & pharma. Alerje's digital platform possesses various food allergy management features, including improving the efficacy of delivering an OIT regimen for allergists, ensuring successful completion by the patient. This platform will enhance the relationship between an allergist and patients and address mental health regarding the treatment process while reducing unnecessary costs and delays in treatment. To date, there are no other digital platforms for OIT management, and Alerje is proud to be a leader in this space. OIT is a process of desensitizing a patient to a food to which they are allergic by giving minuscule doses of that food and slowly increasing the amount of the dose over time. Research shows that an OIT regimen can take up to a year to complete, and with regular maintenance, the patient can have less worry about triggering an anaphylaxis event. Alerje's digital platform addresses the barriers in OIT adherence to reaching that goal, including physical, financial and psychological challenges. Recently, Alerje was awarded a patent for an epinephrine auto-injector that attaches to a smartphone, providing convenient access to Epinephrine in seconds in case of a severe reaction, positioning Alerje as a leader in the food allergy digital health space.

Regarding the award, Alerje’s CEO and Founder Javier Evelyn notes, "From 2007-2016, severe food allergy reactions have increased 377%. To combat this, we have established a highly efficient digital platform for managing an OIT regimen. We are delighted that America's Seed Fund through the National Science Foundation has recognized the potential of this digital platform. Our Food Allergy OIT digital platform represents an exciting approach towards treatment of these food allergies, which impacts over 220 million patients worldwide."

About Alerje: Alerje is a Detroit-based food allergy innovation startup focused on increasing the quality of life for the millions dealing with life-threatening food allergies. Its technology simplifies food allergy management, reducing the stress for caregivers as they strive to prevent anaphylaxis incidents.

For more information contact: Javier Evelyn, CEO, Alerje, Inc., email: [e-mail], and visit www.alerje.com.