A skin patch to treat peanut allergy in infants
The number of toddlers suffering from peanut allergy has risen drastically in the recent years. In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral immunotherapy treatment called Palforzia to induce peanut tolerance in children aged four to 17 years, with daily intake to maintain protection. A new study presented an experimental skin patch with great promises for toddlers.
A phase III trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the Viaskin patch, from DBV Technologies, could benefit infants. The patch delivered 250μg of peanut protein a day for 12 months to 362 participants between one to three years of age. While they were initially unable to tolerate a single servingof peanut, the patch enabled them to consume a few cautiously.
DBV Technologies is studying cutaneous immunotherapy as an alternative means of desensitizing the body to allergens. It is still too early to compare oral and cutaneous therapies, but both may display pros and cons. Although, further investigations must be carried out before the patch is cleared for commercialization, there is hope for the treatment of peanut allergy in toddlers.