A new treatment that can successfully reduce sensitivity to peanuts has been discovered.

The treatment was uncovered by the world's largest peanut allergy treatment trial - involving more than 30 Irish children.

Researchers believe the oral treatment can offer a real lifeline to sufferers of the world’s most common food allergy and the single cause of most food allergy deaths.

Jonathan Hourihane, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at UCC, has been leading the Irish element of the immunotherapy trial at the college's INFANT Centre.

“What we have been able to show is that by giving people small and increasing amounts of peanut over four to six months and then leaving them on a stable dose for six months, we were able to change their sensitivity from being only just able to tolerate one twentieth of a peanut to being able to tolerate two or three peanuts,” he said.

“So it has increased their tolerance by a factor of 20 and in some cases more than that.”

Treatment

He said the treatment offers peanut allergy sufferers real safety and the ability to cope with accidental exposure in the community.  

The AR101 immunotherapy trial works by introducing controlled amounts of peanut protein to people who suffer with the allergy and slowly raising the quantity over time.

The trial has been ongoing around the world for nearly two years.

It saw some of those taking part going from experiencing allergic reactions, such as immediate vomiting, swelling of the throat and blisters on the tongue from ingesting just 1mg of the protein, to being able to safely ingest up to 600mg.

FDA approval

The findings will be submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a Biologics License Application by the end of this year.

Dr Hourihane said the treatment can be a "game changer" for those who suffer from the allergy - but warned that a number of follow-up studies still have to take place.

“We need to find out how often do people need to take the peanut; can they get away with missing doses?” he asked.

“We need to know, are they going to be OK when they stop this treatment or do they need to stay on it long-term.

“It is going to suit a lot of people but it is not going to suit some - so we have got to try and finesse this and work out what is best for the largest number of people.”

It is hoped the treatment will be available to patients by late 2019.