Latitude Expands Innovative Food Allergy Care to Families Across the Bay Area

Pioneering a new standard of food allergy care, Latitude takes the next step towards building a national network of its specialized clinics and services

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#OIT–Latitude Food Allergy Care, the company transforming the way we understand and care for food allergies, today announced the expansion of its network of clinics to three new locations in the San Francisco Bay Area to increase access to specialized food allergy care and treatment. The Redwood City-based company will offer its innovative food allergy services in San Francisco, South Bay and East Bay with plans to expand across the nation.

The everyday quality of life is massively impacted for the 32 million Americans living with the fear of anaphylaxis. According to a recent study from Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), McKinsey & Company, Northwestern University and Global Strategy Group, an even larger group of 104 million Americans is avoiding foods because of their, or someone in their household’s, allergy or food intolerance. Unnecessary avoidance of food due to an undiagnosed or misdiagnosed allergy not only impacts quality of life but also overall physical and mental health.

Latitude was founded in 2018 by Bay Area parents of children with food allergies to address the critical need for better care. Integral to the creation of Stanford University’s world-renowned food allergy research center, the company’s founders have over a decade of professional experience with food allergy patients and clinical trials. Joined by leading experts in allergy and immunology, the team designed a comprehensive program to support every food allergic individual and provide effective and affordable solutions. Latitude’s unique clinical model became the first of its kind to give patients and their families the power to understand, manage, treat and prevent their food allergies.

“Millions of people are desperate for answers to their food allergy questions,” said Kimberley Yates (Grosso), founder and CEO of Latitude. “Our team set out to transform food allergy care by providing a place where patients and their families could finally make sense of their food allergies and find solutions with full support from food allergy experts and clinicians. As members of the food allergy community ourselves, we know that specialized care is not only necessary but life-changing, and we are committed to making it accessible to all those who need it.”

As a member of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians network, Latitude has been recognized for its innovative approach to food allergy care. With the launch of its new specialty care clinics focused exclusively on food allergies, Latitude will expand access to its team of board-certified allergists and clinicians, providing additional referral options for clinicians whose patients require specialized food allergy care. (Read more…)

“Properly caring for a patient’s food allergy requires a great deal of time and specialized resources,” said allergist and immunologist Zahida “Rani” Maskatia, MD, the head of Latitude’s clinical team. “At Latitude we have brought a comprehensive diagnostic process, treatment options and patient support into one experience. Our program is personalized to the needs of each individual patient and their families so that they can find answers and solutions to their food allergies and no longer need to live in fear of them.”

Latitude’s full range of services include:

• Assessment: Latitude provides patients with a precise diagnosis of their food allergy and the confidence to engage in the right care program. Food allergy assessments, which may incorporate a combination of oral food challenges, blood tests, skin tests and medical history analysis, are safely conducted by clinicians.
• Prevention: Tailored plans for early and regular food exposure are offered to infants that may be at risk of developing food allergies. Latitude’s in-house allergy specialists design and oversee every food introduction program.
• Treatment: Latitude offers food allergy treatments that are clinically proven to help overcome even the most severe food allergies. Using oral immunotherapy (OIT), an innovative method for desensitizing patients to their food allergies based on evidence-based protocols from Stanford University, UCSF, Baylor and other leading research institutions, Latitude offers single and multi-allergen OIT, and OIT in combination with Xolair. Latitude is also one of the first to offer Palforzia, an FDA-approved OIT treatment for peanut allergy.
• Long-term care: The Latitude team provides ongoing support to patients who have received OIT or clinical trial treatments as well as those who seek focused, long-term management and assessment of their food allergies.

Latitude’s model includes 24/7 access to support and guidance from its acclaimed clinical team as well as Patient Care Coordinators who are parents of children with food allergies. All of Latitude’s locations offer a warm and welcoming clinical space suitable for patients of all ages, in addition to telemedicine services when possible. Latitude also accepts insurance from all major insurance carriers.

“Patients come to Latitude searching for answers to their food allergies, with many having had no choice but to avoid foods their entire lives,” said Tessa Grosso, Community Advisor at Latitude and a patient advocate for food allergy treatment. “As a food allergic patient myself, it is truly exciting to live the rest of my life with the ability to eat freely, and to create the same possibilities for other children, teenagers and adults in the food allergy community.”

Latitude’s four clinics, located in San Francisco, San Ramon, Los Gatos/San Jose and Redwood City are open for in-person and virtual visits. To learn more or to schedule a consultation, please visit www.latitudefoodallergycare.com.

About Latitude Food Allergy Care

Latitude Food Allergy Care is transforming the way we understand and support food allergies by providing responsive, personalized and comprehensive specialty care to food allergic patients and their families. Founded in the Bay Area by parents of children with food allergies to develop a new standard of care, Latitude is building a national network of food allergy assessment and treatment centers led by a specialized clinical team and guided by world-renowned healthcare researchers, clinicians and business advisors. For more information, please visit www.latitudefoodallergycare.com and follow Latitude on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Contacts

Debbie Taback

[email protected]
650-466-6217