Earlier this year, the FDA approved the first treatment for food allergies, Palforzia.
The treatment is a version of oral immunotherapy, a form of food allergy treatment. It involves introducing a small amount of the protein of the food you may be allergic to, and slowly increasing as the immune system gets “retrained” to numb its reaction to the food.
The treatment for Palforzia is designed for peanut allergy. The treatment is a capsule with a purified peanut protein powder inside. The capsule is opened and poured into food like apple sauce or yogurt, and then the patient consumes it. The treatment starts with a build-up day (almost a 4-hour appointment), followed by dose increases every 2 weeks at normal appointments. The final dose is 300 mg, which is roughly equal to 1 peanut kernel, and this dose is continued daily. This will hopefully decrease life-threatening reactions in cases of accidental exposure (maybe even build a tolerance to the allergen if used long enough).
Currently, Palforzia is approved for ages 4-17 for the treatment of food allergies.
We are happy to provide a work-up and assessment if your child is a candidate for Palforzia. Come see us at Cure Allergy Clinic.