New breakthrough treatment for children allergic to peanuts, study finds

There may soon be a new treatment option to help millions of children with peanut allergies. The final results of a clinical trial are underway and show that it is possible for some people peanut allergy to protect themselves by carefully building a peanut tolerance over time.

The study, funded by Aimmune Therapeutics, included 551 participants, all suffering from peanut allergy. Participants were aged 4 to 55, but the majority of them were between 4 and 17 years old. The researchers gave one-third of the participants a placebo, while two-thirds received oral doses of small amounts of peanut protein powder in increasing amounts until the "maintenance dose" ", equivalent to one peanut a day.

After nine to twelve months of treatment, two-thirds of those who received it were able to tolerate the equivalent of two peanuts a day. Half of the patients were able to tolerate the equivalent of four peanuts a day. In contrast, only 4% of people in the placebo group could have the equivalent of two peanuts without having an allergic reaction.

"This is not a quick fix, and it does not mean that people with peanut allergies will be able to eat peanuts anytime," said Dr. Jay Lieberman, co-author of the study and Vice. President of the American College of Allergy. Committee on Food Allergy in the Field of Asthma and Immunology, said in a statement. "But it's definitely a breakthrough."

The results of the study were presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Nut allergies and other foods have risen sharply in the United States in recent years, prompting research to be conducted urgently to explore potential ways to prevent and treat the problem. According to Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), the prevalence of peanut or nut allergy appears to have more than tripled among American children between 1997 and 2008.

FARE estimates that about 40% of children with food allergies have experienced severe allergic reaction like anaphylaxis – swelling of the throat, lips and tongue with difficulty breathing and swallowing which can be fatal. Patients may also experience vomiting and hives or rashes.

Once anaphylaxis has begun, epinephrine, usually an auto-injector such as EpiPen – is the only effective treatment. Failure to treat a severe allergic reaction quickly enough can become fatal.

The treatment of Aimmune Therapeutics does not completely cure a peanut allergy – people with allergies should still avoid eating them. But this would allow them to better tolerate accidental exposure to small amounts, which would alleviate some of the concern over traces hidden in packaged foods or cross-contamination by a classmate who recently ate a butter sandwich. peanut.

Currently, there is no approved treatment to reduce the severity of a peanut allergy. Daniel C. Adelman, Chief Medical Officer of Aimmune and lead author of the study, told the New York Times that the company was considering seeking FDA approval by the end of the year. If the treatment is approved, it will be available by prescription.

People with peanut allergies should continue to take it long-term to stay safe from accidental consumption.

However, as demonstrated in the study, the treatment will not work for everyone. In an accompanying editorial also published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Michael R. Perkin, Ph.D., of St. George's Population Health Research Institute, University of London, points out that "the desensitization has not been easy for patients. "

Nearly 12% of participants in the active drug group had to discontinue the study because of adverse events, compared with about 2% in the placebo group.

Perkin also worries about potential long-term side effects of continued consumption of an allergen against which the body has produced antibodies, which are currently unknown. "Monitoring and follow-up will be crucial," he writes.