A recent global phase 3 clinical trial, which included Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, has demonstrated that a year-long immunotherapy treatment using a skin patch can safely desensitize toddlers with peanut allergies. The trial, funded by DBV Technologies and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved children aged 1-3 years and showed a reduction in the risk of severe allergic reactions from accidental peanut exposure.
Co-author Dr. Melanie Makhija, who led the study at Lurie Children’s, expressed excitement about the findings. Toddlers who initially reacted to small amounts of peanuts were able to tolerate the equivalent of one to four peanuts after completing the treatment. This provides substantial protection against accidental peanut exposure, and the study found that the peanut patch had a low risk of severe allergic reactions. The results offer promising news for families of children with peanut allergies.
Peanut allergy affects about 2 percent of children in Western countries and can persist into adulthood, posing a risk of life-threatening reactions. Current treatments for peanut allergies are not approved for children under 4 years of age.
Lurie Children’s has been actively involved in clinical trials for food allergies since 2012, including oral immunotherapy for peanuts that received FDA approval. Ongoing trials cater to various age groups, from infants to young adults, under the leadership of Principal Investigators Dr. Elizabeth Lippner and Dr. Abigail Lang.
The research at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is conducted through the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, which aims to enhance child health and transform pediatric medicine through the pursuit of knowledge. Lurie Children’s is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing exceptional care to every child and is recognized as one of the top children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, Lurie Children’s serves as the pediatric training facility for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.