Palforzia: FDA Approved Drug To Treat Peanut Allergy

“The FDA has approved the drug Palforzia to treat reactions to accidental exposures to peanuts in children with food allergies.”

Peanut allergy affects approximately 1 million children in the US and only 1 out of 5 of these children will outgrow their allergy. ~FDA

There is no cure for peanut allergy so it’s important for allergic individuals to avoid eating peanut to prevent severe and potentially life-threatening reactions. Even after avoidance, inadvertent exposures do occur. Palforzia can help reduce the risk of allergic reactions in children with peanut allergy.

Symptoms of peanut allergic reaction

You must be aware that a small amount of peanut for peanut allergic individual can be very harmful. Its allergic reactions are unpredictable in occurrence, some individuals experience mild symptoms while some can face severe health issues.

Physical symptoms can develop within seconds of exposure and may include skin reactions (e.g., hives, redness or swelling), digestive discomfort, or more dangerous reactions, such as constriction of the throat and airways, and loss of adequate blood flow to vital organs of the body. Antihistamines and epinephrine can be used to treat allergic reactions, but severe reactions can be fatal even with appropriate, prompt treatment. Palforzia cannot be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

When you need to initiate the Palforzia treatment?

Palforzia treatment may be initiated in children of age 4 years through 17 years with a confirmed diagnosis of peanut allergy. Taking Palforzi treatment doesn’t mean you can take peanuts in your diet. It’s really important to know that allergens who take Palforzia must avoid peanuts in their diets.

How Palforzia works?

Palforzia is a powder made from peanuts. It doesn’t “cure” a peanut allergy, however, it decreases the severity and frequency of an allergic reaction by a process called immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy process is about exposing allergen to the substance to which it’s allergic to. “Allergen is given a small amounts of allergic substance over a period of time so that allergen’s doesn’t see it as foreign anymore. This is same as an asthma patient being treated by allergy shots.

Beginning treatment with Palforzia is not as simple as taking a pill once or twice a day. According to the prescribing information, Palforzia treatment has three different phases:

• Initial dose escalation – This phase is spaced out over a single day and involves five gradually increasing doses of Palforzia.
• Up-dosing – It consists of 11 increasing dose levels over the course of several months.
• Maintenance – After successfully completing all the up-dosing levels, the patient graduated to the daily maintenance dose.

The initial escalation and the first dose of Palforzia up-dosing level are carefully administered by healthcare specialists at a healthcare facility.

Following a Palforzia treatment is really important. If you miss multiple doses it puts you at risk of having a reaction because your body gets used to that amount; and if you stop it all of a sudden, it goes back to square one. This medication is meant for a family who can stick to the routine and be able to take the medication every single day.

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