Experimental skin patch to treat toddlers with severe peanut allergies shows promise in study

Lauren Sforza
·2 min read
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An experimental skin patch has shown promise to treat children younger than 4 who have severe allergies to peanuts, according to a new study.

DBV Technologies has introduced skin-based immunotherapy to desensitize the body from allergens, like peanuts. The Viaskin Peanut patch is coated with a small amount of peanut protein that is absorbed into the skin and is worn between the shoulder blades of a toddler, where they cannot take it off.

ADBV Technologies’s Phase 3 trial of the patch randomized a group of 362 children ranging in age from 1 to 3 years old. They were first tested to see how much peanut they could tolerate and were randomly given either the Viaskin Peanut patch or a placebo patch.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday, found that toddlers who wore the skin patch demonstrated “statistically superior desensitization” compared to those who received the placebo. After one year of treatment, about 67 percent of those who received the real skin patch were able to ingest more peanuts than they could before.

The study also noted some with the real patch saw less severe allergic reactions compared to those with the placebo.

“We are thrilled to see the EPITOPE Phase 3 data published in the New England Journal of Medicine, highlighting exciting results for toddlers with peanut allergy and their loved ones,” Daniel Tassé, chief executive officer of DBV Technologies, said in a statement. “This publication comes shortly after receiving pre-BLA feedback from the FDA, which outlined the regulatory path for our Viaskin Peanut program in 1 – 3-year-olds.”

“Parents and caregivers are eagerly awaiting FDA-approved treatment options for this age group. We are pleased that the NEJM has confirmed what we know to be true: the EPITOPE data represent a ‘next step towards a future with more [approved] treatments for food allergies,'” he added.

Allergies to peanuts are one of the most common allergies children have in the United States. A study conducted in 2017 found that about 2.5 percent of children could have peanut allergies, which could lead to serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

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