New Hope for Children With Severe Peanut Allergies

Evidence is beginning to accumulate that severe peanut allergies can be made less severe over time by careful, regulated exposure to small doses of peanut flour. In a recent study, over 500 children aged 4 to 17 with severe peanut allergies were exposed either to small amounts of peanut flour delivered in their food for six months, or to a non-peanut flour. By the end of the study, 67% of those exposed to the peanut flour were able to tolerate the equivalent of several peanuts, compared to only 4% of those receiving the dummy flour. While children who have had severe peanut allergies probably wouldn't ever be able to eat peanuts with reckless abandon, the treatment should be enough to keep them safe if/when they are inadvertently exposed to tiny amounts of peanut allergen in their environment.

The study has not yet been peer-reviewed. And it's worth noting that 12% of the study's participants dropped out before completion of the study because of "adverse events" (reactions to the treatment). In other words, the treatment may not work for everyone.

When commercialized, a full course of treatment is expected to cost $5,000 to $10,000. That's a lot to pay for peanut powder, but presumably the real cost is in quality control and patient monitoring. For the patient with life-threatening peanut allergies, the treatment might be priceless.