'Peanut patch' deemed safe for allergy sufferers

A new wearable immunotherapy device has been declared safe for use to treat peanut allergy sufferers.

Viaskin, which is based on an electrostatic patch, administers an allergen directly on the skin.

Once administered, the allergen is concentrated in the superficial layers of the skin, where it activates the immune system by specifically targeting antigen-presenting cells without passage of the antigen into the bloodstream.

DBV calls this approach to immunotherapy ‘epicutaneous immunotherapy’, or EPIT.

DBV Technologies says that it believes EPIT has the potential to provide all of the intended benefits of a disease-modifying treatment in allergy, while avoiding severe or life-threatening allergic reactions. 

In a multicentre double blind, placebo controlled phase IIb trial, 221 subjects (aged 6–55 years) were randomised to one year Viaskin Peanut (VP), at different doses, or Viaskin placebo.

The study finds that in peanut allergy, EPIT appears safe and effective; the cumulative reacting dose was dose-dependent, and maximum efficacy was seen with VP250.