An experimental treatment to reduce the risk of serious allergic reactions to peanuts yielded promising results in a study conducted by the company that developed the therapy.
The study included nearly 500 youngsters, ages 4-17, with severe peanut allergies. They took either capsules of peanut flour or a dummy ( placebo) powder in steadily increasing quantities for six months, then kept taking that final level for another six months, the Associated Press reported.
About 20 percent of participants in the peanut powder group dropped out of the study, 12 percent due to reactions or other problems, the AP reported.
The findings announced Tuesday by California-based Aimmune Therapeutics have not been reviewed by independent experts, but will be presented next month at a medical meeting.
The company plans to file for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the therapy by the end of 2018, and for approval in Europe early next year. If approved, it would be the first such treatment available in the U.S.
Peanut allergies affect millions of children and can trigger life-threatening reactions in some, the AP reported.
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