An experimental treatment is giving new hope to peanut allergy sufferers.
According to the results of a recently released study, the new treatment was effective in lowering the life-threatening risk of coming into contact with small amounts of peanuts.
The drug, called AR101, was developed by Aimmune Therapeutics not to cure the allergy, but to help patients build up a tolerance to peanuts over time. About 550 patients, mostly children, participated in the double-blind study — 372 of which were given a daily dose of the drug that is derived from peanuts. After six months, about two-thirds of the patients given the drug were able to consume the equivalent of two peanuts without any harmful side effects.
One of the study’s authors expressed excitement at the results and said drug has the “potential to help children with peanut allergy protect themselves against accidentally eating a food with peanut in it.”
The company plans to submit a marketing application for the drug to the FDA next month. There are currently no other similar treatments for peanut allergy on the market.
Read the full New York Times report.