Young people suffering from peanut allergies received disturbing news this week, after it was announced that the only drug that reduced the risk of deadly allergic reactions is being removed from the pharmaceutical market.
Stallergenes Greer, the company that makes the immunotherapy treatment Palforzia, said the decision was not related to safety concerns, but said its production would be halted worldwide. The decision was described as “disturbing” and “shocking” for families by the charity Anaphylaxis UK, which said there was currently no other licensed alternative to immunotherapy for peanut allergy.
According to the organization, without this treatment, children diagnosed with peanut allergy will need to continue strict avoidance, as well as always carry emergency medications and an allergy action plan with them.
Palforzia was originally developed by Aimmune Therapeutics, which was acquired by Nestlé in 2020 for around £2.1 billion. Nestlé then sold the drug to Stallergenes Greer in 2023. At the time, Palforzia was described in the media as a “commercial failure” due to lower-than-expected uptake by doctors.
The manufacturer has agreed to a transition period, during which current patients will be able to continue treatment, but has advised that no new patients will be accepted after April 1.
Palforzia, a powder containing very small amounts of pharmaceutical-grade peanut flour, was approved for use by the British National Health Service (NHS) in 2021, a year after it received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The treatment works by gradually exposing the patient to increasingly large doses of peanut protein, "retraining" the immune system and reducing susceptibility to severe reactions. The medication must be taken daily and requires regular medical check-ups to monitor side effects.
Although patients are still advised to avoid peanuts, Palforzia reduces the risk of anaphylaxis, the most severe and life-threatening form of allergic reaction, which can cause swelling of the airways and suffocation. In some cases, even trace amounts of peanuts in food can be fatal.
Peanut allergy affects one in 50 children, around 240 in the UK and around a million in the US, making it one of the most common food allergies. While one in five children outgrow the allergy over the years, for most it remains lifelong.
Tragic cases have highlighted the risk: in 2020, a 23-year-old from Newcastle lost his life after consuming a pizza containing peanut powder, while in 2023, a 19-year-old student in the US died after eating a brownie with roasted peanut flour.
Anaphylaxis UK called the decision "a step backwards for the allergy community", but added that research into new treatments is continuing, particularly in the field of real food immunotherapy, with the aim of making these methods safer, more effective and more accessible through the NHS in the future.
The organization advised patients currently taking Palforzia to continue their dosage and consult their medical team with any concerns, also warning against trying to create a "homemade" version of the peanut flour treatment.
According to them, Palforzia is a pharmaceutical product manufactured to strict standards of quality, purity, and stability, and is treated to eliminate natural contaminants such as fungi, controls that are not typically applied to regular peanut flour.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, a spokesperson for Stallergenes Greer said the decision to discontinue Palforzia came after a strategic review, noting that administrative complexity and dosing requirements have limited its use in clinical practice, despite its proven efficacy and safety. /GazetaExpress/
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