Phase 3 Trial Shows Peanut Patch Treatment Helps Toddlers Build Tolerance To Deadly Allergy

Phase 3 Trial Shows Peanut Patch Treatment Helps Toddlers Build Tolerance To Deadly Allergy

Toddlers safely built a tolerance to small amounts of peanut proteins thanks to a simple skin patch, which helped prevent the progression of a potentially deadly allergy.

More than 70% of these toddlers could tolerate 3 or 4 peanut kernels after a 3-year course of treatment, say American scientists working to commercialize the skin patch.

The findings, from an FDA-registered, long-term, phase 3 clinical trial offer encouraging news for parents of the one child in 50 born every year with the susceptibility to peanut allergies.

The study found that a peanut patch treatment—called epicutaneous immunotherapy, or EPIT—continued to help toddlers safely build tolerance to peanuts over three years. It used the DBV Technologies Viaskin Peanut Patch, which delivers small amounts of peanut protein through the skin.

The goal is to train the immune system to tolerate peanut exposure and reduce the risk of severe allergic reactions from accidental ingestion.

The new analysis looked at toddlers who originally received a placebo in an earlier one-year study and then used the peanut patch for up to 3 years.

After 3 years of treatment, more than 70% of the children could tolerate the equivalent of at least 3 to 4 peanut kernels—a “significant” improvement from their first year of treatment.

Nearly half could tolerate even higher amounts, according to the research team.

“Importantly, the treatment continued to show a strong safety record,” said study lead author Dr. Matthew Greenhawt. “No cases of treatment-related anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, were reported in the third year.

“Skin irritation at the patch site, the most common side effect, became less frequent over time.”

The research team also found that children’s reactions during food challenges became milder, with fewer severe symptoms after 3 years than after 1 year.

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“These results show that ongoing treatment with the peanut patch continues to improve tolerance and remains safe over time,” said Dr. Greenhawt, who holds the directorship of the Food Challenge and Research Unit at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

“For parents of toddlers with peanut allergies, this kind of approach may one day offer peace of mind by reducing the risk of having an allergic reaction, including severe reactions, from accidental exposure.”

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The findings add to growing evidence that early intervention in young children helps change the course of peanut allergy development. Researchers stressed that parents should not attempt any form of peanut desensitization at home, and should discuss emerging treatment options with a qualified allergist.

The findings were presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Orlando, Florida.