Food allergy is a disease of the immune system that is triggered by an exceptionally broad range of commonly allergenic foods such as cow’s milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish and even sesame. In a perfect world, the human immune system would adapt to all foods. However, in tens of millions of people, the immune system wrongly recognizes some food proteins as harmful and does not adapt. We envision a world where, with help from oral immunotherapy, the immune system can adapt to nearly all food allergens. And we built our inspiration into our name—Alladapt.
Alladapt was co-founded in 2018 in Palo Alto, California, by allergist and protein biochemist Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD, and biotechnology entrepreneur, Ashley Dombkowski, PhD. Academic clinical research conducted by Dr. Nadeau has demonstrated that a food allergic immune system in an individual person can be receptive to remodeling by gradually increasing exposure, under tightly controlled clinical supervision, to the proteins that activate the inappropriate cascade of reactions. This work, combined with research illuminating disease mechanisms and pathways, led the founders to envision a biopharmaceutical intervention capable of addressing food allergy provoked by a wide-ranging set of antigens.
Food allergy is a serious disease, with potentially life-threatening consequences. The disease has grown dramatically in recent years and now affects more than 6 million children¹ and 26 million adults² in the United States alone. Importantly, about half of people with food allergy are reactive to multiple foods, which further increases the risk of anaphylaxis due to accidental ingestion.
The chronic, unpredictable components of this disease can elevate anxiety in patients and their families, and place extreme limitations on their lives. It is our goal to help patients experience more of life’s magical moments with less fear and greater confidence.
¹ Gupta, R. S., Warren, C. M., Smith, B. M., Blumenstock, J. A., Jiang, J., Davis, M. M., et al. (2018). "The Public Health Impact of Parent-Reported Childhood Food Allergies in the United States." Pediatrics 142(6).
² Gupta, R. S., Warren, C. M., Smith, B. M., Jiang, J., Blumenstock, J. A., Davis, M. M., et al. (2019). "Prevalence and Severity of Food Allergies Among US Adults." JAMA Netw Open 2(1): e185630.
ADP101, our lead drug candidate, is being developed for the mitigation of food allergy provoked by either single or multiple proteins from a wide-ranging set of foods. We are working to formulate this proprietary oral immunotherapy drug candidate as a single agent capable of delivering highly-consistent, well-characterized, precisely-dosed protein from the vast majority of commonly allergenic protein families. ADP101 is based on an intellectual property estate that includes patents and accompanying clinical data licensed from Stanford University.
--Ashley to consider adding list of presentations and publications--
Since 20XX, many publications have focused on food allergy as a single disease...
-- List of presentations and publications --
We bring an unwavering commitment to collaborating with patients, family members and physicians so that the values and needs of stakeholders in the food allergy community can be incorporated into our program. Our foundational research was originally inspired by insights shared with us by patients and families who were frustrated by the absence of adequate treatment options for such a serious disease. Our outreach revealed:
These insights, and the voices of patients, are at the heart of everything we do at Alladapt.
In an effort to support food allergy advocacy and advance a broader understanding of this serious and complex disease, we have compiled the following links. Whether you are a patient, a family member, or someone seeking a better understanding of this disease, these resources may be useful. Please note these links will take you away from the Alladapt website to sites that are maintained by independent groups.
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The Harmony Study is a Phase 1/2 trial evaluating ADP101, an investigational oral immunotherapy, for the treatment of food allergy. The study is fully enrolled and includes patients with one or multiple food allergies. Learn more at The Harmony Study website or at ClinicalTrials.gov
--Ashley to consider adding list of presentations and publications--
Since 20XX, many publications have focused on food allergy as a single disease...
-- List of presentations and publications --
Dr. Dombkowski co-founded Alladapt Immunotherapeutics with Dr. Kari Nadeau. She was previously the CEO and Co-founder of Before Brands, a company she also co-founded with Dr. Nadeau. At Before Brands, Dr. Dombkowski led the company from inception through initial product launch, culminating in a global commercial partnership with Nestle Health Science. She has more than 20 years of experience as an operating executive, entrepreneur and investor. Prior operating roles include serving as Chief Business Officer and Vice President of Operations for consumer genomics company 23andMe, where she also served as a member of the company’s Board of Directors. In addition, she spent nearly 15 years as a Managing Director at health care venture capital firms Bay City Capital and MPM Capital. Her portfolio of innovative biotechnology, medical device, consumer health and HCIT companies has included 23andMe, Adolor, Alnara, Before Brands, BioVitrum, Epizyme, iPierian, Neosil, Nevro, Rigel, Tercica and Twist. Earlier in her career, she was an equity analyst for Tiger Management LLC and for Dresdner RCM Global Investors.
Dr. Dombkowski holds a PhD in Mathematics from Rice University and received her BA in Mathematics from Wellesley College.
Dr. Kari Nadeau is the Chair of the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard School of Public Health and John Rock Professor of Climate and Population Studies. She is a pediatrician and practices Allergy, Asthma, Immunology and occupational health in children and adults. She has published over 400+ papers, many in the field of climate change and health. Dr. Nadeau, with a team of individuals and patients and families, has been able to help major progress and impact in the field of food allergy. Dr. Nadeau is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, the U.S. EPA Children’s Health Protection Committee, and the CA. Governor’s Science and Technology Committee.
For more than 30 years, she has devoted herself to understanding how environmental and genetic factors affect the risk of developing allergies and asthma, especially wildfire-induced air pollution. Her laboratory has been studying air pollution and wildfire effects on children and adults, including wildland firefighters. Many of the health issues involving individuals and the public are increasing because of global warming, sustainability practices, and extreme weather conditions. She oversees a team working on air pollution and wildfire research along with a multidisciplinary group of community leaders, firefighters, engineers, scientists, lawyers, and policy makers. Dr. Nadeau was appointed as a member of the U.S. Federal Wildfire Commission in 2022.
Dr. Nadeau works with other organizations and institutes across the world. She is working with the WHO on a scoping review and report for health ministers and policy makers on wildland fires: how to mitigate, adapt, and follow UN SDG’s to create resiliency and co-benefits in communities, especially LMICs.
She also launched four biotech companies, and founded the Climate Change and Health Equity Task Force and started the Sustainability Health Seed Grant initiative and Climate Change and Health Fellowship program at Stanford. She also developed climate change and health courses at Stanford.
She also has served on the Scientific Advisory Board of the U.S. EPA.
Dr. Nadeau earned her MD/PhD from Harvard Medical School in 1995, completing her doctoral work in biochemistry and immunology, followed by a pediatric internship and residency at Boston Children’s Hospital (1995-1997). She moved to California for a fellowship in the Stanford-UCSF Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Program (2003-2006), joining the Stanford Medical School faculty as an instructor, followed by promotions to assistant professor (2008), associate professor (2011), and professor (2015).
Dr. Michael Holfinger joined Alladapt as Chief Technical Officer in 2021.Before joining Alladapt, Dr. Holfinger was Vice President of Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls at Pliant Pharmaceuticals where he was responsible for all process/product development, manufacturing/supply, and analytical development/quality control activities to support clinical development of multiple small molecule drug candidates. Prior to this, he spent five years as SVP Technical Operations at Aimmune Therapeutics where as he was responsible for all process/product development, manufacturing, supply chain, and analytical development/quality control activities to support clinical development and commercialization of PalforziaTM, an FDA-approved biologic oral immunotherapy product for the treatment of pediatric peanut allergy. Dr. Holfinger's earlier career included increasingly responsible positions at Alexza, Affymax, Pfizer, Pharmacia and Upjohn.
Dr. Holfinger earned a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Applied Science and Chemistry from Miami University.
Dr. McClintock has served as Alladapt’s Chief Medical Officer since 2018. Prior to joining Alladapt, Dr. McClintock was Global Head of Innovation for Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology at Genentech/Roche. Her responsibilities included accelerating use of emergent technologies and enabling novel approaches to clinical development with a focus on pediatrics. Prior to this role, Dr. McClintock, held roles of increasing responsibility at Genentech/Roche, including Global Head of Pipeline and Portfolio planning for Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology as well as Interim Global Co-Head of Ophthalmology. Earlier in Dr. McClintock’s career, she was deeply involved in both immunology and ophthalmology clinical development across a range of phases, from IND-enabling work and early clinical trials through post-marketing commitments and medical affairs activities. Dr. McClintock was involved in key clinical development activities for omalizumab (Xolair) and ranibizumab (Lucentis) as well as other pipeline molecules.
Dr. McClintock received a BA in Chemistry from Duke University and an MD from the University of Virginia. Dr. McClintock completed her training in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, both at the University of California, San Francisco.
Ms. Peacock joined Alladapt as Chief Regulatory Affairs and Quality Officer in May 2023.
Prior to joining Alladapt, Ms. Peacock was Head of Pharma R&D at Nestle Health Science, where she was responsible for global regulatory affairs, program management, pharmacovigilance, biometrics, and clinical science for drug products in food allergy, gastrointestinal and metabolic disorder therapeutic areas. Previously, Ms. Peacock served as SVP Global Regulatory Affairs at Aimmune Therapeutics, where she was responsible for activities supporting the development and marketing approvals in the U.S., E.U., U.K. and Switzerland of Palforzia®, an oral immunotherapy product for the treatment of peanut allergy. Ms. Peacock’s earlier career included leadership positions of increasing responsibility at Abbott, Auxilium, Intermune, and Circassia.
Ms. Peacock earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacology at King’s College, London, and a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of West London.
Ms. Milani joined the Alladapt team in March 2019, overseeing planning, raw material procurement, contract manufacturing operations management, finished goods packaging, logistics and distribution. Since joining, Amelia has played a critical role in establishing our Clinical Supply Chain in preparation for Alladapt’s first IND filing and trial. Prior to joining Alladapt, Amelia was Senior Director of Manufacturing & Supply Chain, Clinical & Commercial, at Achaogen, a company focused on novel anti-infectives. She also worked at Roche in Basel, Switzerland where she was part of the Commercial Supply Chain organization and was at Genentech from 2007 to 2012 holding various Supply Chain roles of increasing responsibility.
Ms. Milani holds a BS in Economics & Finance from the University of Arizona and an MBA with emphasis in Supply Chain Management from Arizona State University.
Ms. Sullivan joined Alladapt in 2018 to lead Clinical Operations, and her role was expanded to oversee Development Operations in 2019. She has held leadership positions at companies including BioMarin Pharmaceuticals, Roche and Genentech, and spent several years as Director of Clinical Research for a large HIV practice in San Francisco. Prior to joining Alladapt, Ms. Sullivan’s biotech career included increasingly responsible roles at Roche Genentech that involved end-to-end management of early through post-commercial stage clinical trials. Most recently, she was a Clinical Program Group Leader across the Immunology, Ophthalmology and Neuroscience portfolio with Genentech's Research and Early Development (gRED) unit. Prior to her time at Roche Genentech, she was at BioMarin Pharmaceuticals where she contributed to the BLA filing for BioMarin's first marketed product, Aldurazyme for mucopolysaccharidosis type I.
Ms. Sullivan received a BA in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Dr. Wang joined Alladapt in 2021. Prior to joining Alladapt, Dr. Wang was Director of Clinical Development in Immunology at Janssen, where she focused on clinical oversight and strategic planning for late-phase programs in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Prior to Janssen, she worked at GSK across all phases of clinical development, guiding clinical strategy and execution of programs in ulcerative colitis (UC), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis (PsO), renal transplantation, and pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Dr. Wang holds a BA from Cornell University and an MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where she also served as Chief Pediatric Resident. Dr. Wang completed her fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where she served as an attending physician for 11 years, and established a basic/translational research program in Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE).
