(RxWiki News) Shiver me timbers! A new revolutionary skin patch may solve the sometimes deadly peanut allergy. Pediatricians in France have developed a new skin patch that releases extremely small amounts of peanut oil for the skin to absorb.
Thousands live in fear of accidental peanut exposure which can be fatal. Severely allergic patients may still not be able to eat peanuts, but at the very least it would be comforting to know accidental peanut exposure is no longer life threatening. This slow and steady release is designed to educate the body not to overreact to peanuts.
"Patch to protect from peanut allergies is in safety trials."
Dr Pierre-Henri Benhamou, pediatrician, senior consultant at St Vincent de Paul Hospital in Paris and co-inventor of the skin patch believes this patch, after being worn for years, could reduce the severity of allergic reactions to peanuts.
Accidental exposure is quite common in nut allergy cases. He also observes that one of the patch's good qualities is its absorption just under the skin is taken up by the immune system. This avoids going directly into the bloodstream and the severe reactions that could cause.
Benhamou continues to report that small safety trials have already been done and they are currently in trials to establish the optimum dose for patients who would wear the patch for years.
He surmises a time period of three or four years would be optimum. The optimum time period may be less as Benhamou believes that as little as a year of wearing the patch patients may stop patients from a severe life threatening reaction to peanut.
Dr Benhamou hopes patients wearing the patch will be able to eat moderate amounts of peanuts without an allergic reaction. Additionally, he hopes to ensure patients with even the smallest amount of peanut exposure, will not have severe reactions. Researchers have already established a similar milk patch may prevent milk allergy reactions as well.
Professor Gideon Lack of St Mary, one of the UKs leading nut allergy experts, and advisor DBV Technologies comments about the cleverness of the patch's approach and anticipates there will be a healthy prospect of success of said patch.
