New cure for peanut allergy could save lives

Life-saving potential: New drug developed against peanut allergy

According to experts, up to one percent of the population suffer from a peanut allergy. Even minimal amounts may be sufficient to cause life-threatening symptoms in those affected. But now there is hope: an international research team has developed a new drug against the dangerous allergy.

More and more peanut allergy sufferers

According to the German Allergy and Asthma Association (DAAB), on average one percent of the population in the US and the UK suffer from a peanut allergy. According to the experts, rising numbers of peanut allergy sufferers are also being recorded in Germany due to increased technological use in the food industry. Since peanuts are processed in many foods, the diet is often difficult for those affected. But a new drug could simplify the life of allergy sufferers.

Peanut allergy sufferers must consistently avoid the consumption of peanuts and products. Perhaps a newly developed drug could soon make their lives easier. (Image: oxxyzay / fotolia.com)

Even the smallest amounts can be dangerous

"While most foods trigger allergic reactions only after a certain amount, peanut micrograms can be enough to cause life-threatening symptoms," writes the DAAB.

In the case of affected persons, respiratory complaints, skin symptoms (eczema, urticaria and quincke edema), diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, dizziness, unconsciousness as well as life-threatening states of shock can occur.

Allergy sufferers must therefore consistently avoid the consumption of peanuts and products thereof. But this is often difficult, because the nuts are processed as ingredients in a variety of foods.

In the future, a drug that has been developed by an international research team could help. The product could be approved as early as next year.

Controlled intake of peanut protein

A study published in the journal "New England Journal of Medicine" shows that the controlled intake of peanut protein can help to build tolerance among allergy sufferers.

The drug, developed by the international research team called AR101, contains peanut protein and is taken orally.

Of the 551 study participants who received the drug or placebo, 496 were between four and 17 years old.

After six months of treatment followed by six months of maintenance therapy, two-thirds of the 372 children receiving the treatment were able to consume 600 milligrams or more of peanut protein (the equivalent of two peanuts) without developing any allergic symptoms.

In contrast, only four percent of the 124 children who received a placebo could consume the same amount of peanut without reacting.

However, the treatment does not work for all concerned. Fourteen percent of patients in active treatment received injections of a drug used in emergencies, including a child suffering from anaphylaxis.

Expectations exceeded

Experts who were not involved in the study said the results exceeded their expectations and called the results "potentially life-saving," the New York Times reports..

However, they also warned that the treatment does not cure peanut allergies and should not be tried at home.

In addition, they emphasized that children who complete the treatment must continue to follow a peanut-free diet and may need to continue maintenance therapy with tiny doses of peanuts, possibly for the rest of their lives.

"This is not the cure, but it's a good first step," Dr. James R. Baker Jr. of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), a non-profit interest group focused on food allergies.

"The fact that the children have eaten the equivalent of one peanut a day says that if they inadvertently eat a peanut, they will not have a life-threatening reaction," Dr. Baker.

Manufacturer hopes for early approval

Although the treatment itself can trigger allergic reactions, patients who complete the treatment receive protection against accidental accidental exposure.

"They trade the insecure, unpredictable risk of a random reaction that gets out of hand against that kind of lesser, usually mild or moderate, symptoms that are manageable for most patients," said study principal Dr. Brian P. Vickery.

The pharmaceutical company Aimmune Therapeutics, which manufactures the drug and funded the research, now hopes to be approved in the coming year. (Ad)