New guidance available for peanut desensitization therapy in patients with peanut allergy

Based on focus groups with children and young people with peanut allergy, experts have published guidance for clinicians working in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) to help them safely and equitably implement Palforzia peanut oral immunotherapy. Their recommendations are published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy.

In 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the UK recommended the use of Palforzia—which has defatted peanut powder as its active ingredient—for desensitizing children and young people with peanut allergy in the NHS.

The new consensus guidance will inform and support health care professionals as they implement Palforzia for desensitization and as they gradually increase peanut dosing in patients.

"It is great we can now offer an actual treatment for peanut allergy, rather than just recommend avoidance and educate patients on how to recognize and manage reactions, but the challenge in our current NHS is how we can provide this to eligible patients equitably, regardless of where they live and their backgrounds," said corresponding author Tom Marrs, Ph.D., of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. "This guidance outlines what NHS services need to be able to offer this treatment at scale and to advocate for patients so that we can develop best-practice models."