{
  "id": 11356497,
  "title": "Allergic to prawns? A Singapore trial is studying whether you can build up a tolerance",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/allergic-to-prawns-a-singapore-trial-is-studying-whether-you-can",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-02T04:27:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/prawn-allergy-singapore-first-trial-oral-immunotherapy-6425956"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new clinical trial in Singapore is exploring whether gradually increasing exposure to prawns could help people with a prawn allergy develop tolerance over time. Prawn allergy is a common issue in the country, affecting an estimated 90,000 to 150,000 people. While the simplest approach is to avoid prawns entirely, this can be challenging in Singapore as shellfish is widely used in local dishes such as prawn noodle soup, laksa, and rojak. Oral immunotherapy, where patients are exposed to small amounts of the allergen under medical supervision, is being studied in the trial to see if it can help build tolerance to prawns. The study, led by Dr Lydia Wong, will involve up to 30 participants, with 20 receiving the oral immunotherapy and 10 forming a control group. The therapy will last approximately eight to 10 months, with researchers monitoring participants for up to two years to assess the long-term impact. Oral immunotherapy has been used internationally for other food allergies like peanuts, milk, and eggs, but its effectiveness for shellfish allergy has not been well-studied. The trial aims to determine if oral immunotherapy can safely increase tolerance and improve quality of life for prawn allergy sufferers.",
  "summary": "Prawn allergy can mean more than simply skipping the crustacean on your plate, especially when shellfish is common in Singapore cooking. Could gradually exposing the body to prawn offer another way to manage the allergy?",
  "key_points": [
    "Singapore trial explores prawn tolerance through gradual exposure",
    "Oral immunotherapy studied to build prawn allergy tolerance",
    "Study led by Dr Lydia Wong with 30 participants"
  ],
  "editors_take": "This trial suggests a potential alternative to avoidance for Singapore's large population of prawn allergy sufferers, which could improve their quality of life in a cuisine where shellfish is prevalent.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNA - Singapore",
        "title": "Allergic to prawns? A Singapore trial is studying whether you can build up a tolerance",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/allergic-to-prawns-a-singapore-trial-is-studying-whether-you-can-11357437",
        "published": "2026-10-02T04:27:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}