FDA approves the first peanut allergy drug
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first-ever drug to treat children for peanut allergies, The Washington Post reports. The drug, Palforzia, is made of peanut protein, and will be fed to kids ages 4 to 17 in gradually increasing doses. In tests, two-thirds of patients were able to safely consume two peanuts after a year of treatment.
Still, there are caveats: The drug cannot be considered a cure, is not likely to provide a solution for everyone, and also costs $890 per month. And some allergists say that the drug’s manufacturer, Aimmune Therapeutics, is spinning a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Doctors already offer the same therapy by feeding patients small amounts of peanut flour, which retails for $6 a pound.
