On Friday, September 13, 2019, an FDA advisory panel overwhelmingly recommended that a standardized oral immunotherapy (OIT) product for peanut allergy be approved. The product, Palforzia (formally known as AR 101), is manufactured by Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc. Palforzia is indicated “to reduce in incidence and severity of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis after accidental exposure to peanut in patients aged 4 through 17 years with a confirmed diagnosis of peanut allergy.”
In the United States, peanut allergy affects 2% of children, with 80% of those children allergic their entire lives. As of now, the only treatment options are cautious avoidance, and the use injectable epinephrine should a reaction occur. This new treatment option, Palforzia, will go a step further by potentially preventing and/or lessening the severity of accidental peanut reactions.
We at Boise Valley Asthma and Allergy Clinic are very excited about this new therapeutic option that will be available hopefully within several months. Click here for an excellent article from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology that explains what OIT is, and what it might entail for the patient and family considering it. We will update you when Palforzia becomes available in our clinic.