Oral Immunotherapy for Peanut Allergy in Children

Palforzia is a prescription peanut powder that is mixed into semi-solid food like applesauce or yogurt. Each dose of peanut powder is standardized.

No, Palforzia is not a cure for peanut allergy.

Yes, children who are taking Palforzia will still need to carry epinephrine.

Yes, children who are taking Palforzia will still need to strictly avoid peanut.

Children ages 4-17 years with peanut allergy are eligible for Palforzia. However, patients with uncontrolled asthma, eosinophilic esophagitis or other eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease are not eligible for Palforzia.

Currently treatment is unavailable as we are still working on best practices for our clinic.

Your child will first attend an allergy appointment to learn about peanut oral immunotherapy and Palforzia. Following their first appointment, they will attend an allergy appointment for supervision of their first peanut dose. Your child will be instructed to take a Palforzia dose every day at home for two weeks. After two weeks, they come back to the allergy clinic to take a slightly larger Palforzia dose. Then they take the new Palforzia dose at home every day for another two weeks. This cycle continues until your child reaches a maximum Palforzia dose that they will take every day.

Appointments are every two weeks while your child is in the build-up phase, which lasts about 6-9 months. Once your child has reached the maintenance Palforzia dose, appointments are every few months.

Researchers believe that Palforzia will be a life-long treatment.

Palforzia was approved by the FDA after careful review of the findings from the clinical trials. Research found that 67 percent of patients treated with Palforzia were able to eat the equivalent of two peanuts after treatment without symptoms, compared with 4 percent of those that were not treated with Palforzia.

The most common side effects of Palforzia in clinical trials were itching of the mouth and throat, as well as stomach discomfort. Allergic reactions, including some that required treatment with epinephrine, also occurred in some patients. Side effects were more common when patients were in the build-up phase and usually less frequent as treatment continued.

This may be covered by insurance, but the details are not currently available.