Viaskin Patch Shows Promise for Peanut-Allergic Children

Luis Salmun, MD, VP, Medical Affairs, North America, DBV Technologies, discussed results from the Viaskin Peanut study and explained the patch could be a potential treatment for children with peanut allergies.

According to Salmun, after 3 years of treatment in children (6-11 years-old), they’ve seen continued improvement in the phase 2 trial of the efficacy of the patch in the child having a reaction to peanuts. The response rate observed at the end of year 1 was 53% and it progressed throughout the ensuing 2 years to reach 83.3%.

This patch would be administered once daily on the child’s back by the parent. It uses the Viaskin technology, which is based on epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) to deliver biologically active compounds to the immune system through intact skin without allowing them to pass into the blood, thus dramatically reducing the risk of anaphylactic reactions.

Salmun said that unlike other patches that tend to just be applied with an adjuvant to be absorbed straight into the bloodstream, this patch allows very slow absorption of the allergen through the skin. According to animal data, it’s captured in the epidermis by the Langerhans cells and goes straight into the lymph nodes. Salmun believes that in an area like food allergy, this patch has the ability to impact the immune system through the skin is unique and emphasizes the immunologic power the skin has.

“It’s really exciting to be able to work in an area like food allergy where there is a lack of treatment. The opportunity to help these patients and their families with a treatment is something we’re excited as a company to hopefully provide,” Salmun concluded.