BSACI guidance for prescribing Palforzia® Peanut Oral Immunotherapy published

To access the guidance click here.

We are delighted to announce the publication of our guidance to support healthcare professionals undertaking a peanut immunotherapy service using Palforzia®. Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies among children and is often a lifelong condition.

Palforzia® enables the safe and effective desensitisation of children with peanut allergy and is licensed for treatment from 4 to 17 years of age. Peanut immunotherapy increases the amount of peanut that can be tolerated before a child starts to show a reaction, daily doses of peanut, must be taken to maintain this protection. This treatment reduces the anxiety around accidentally eating peanut, due to the reduced risk of severe reaction if exposed.

Co-author Tom Marrs explains the importance of Palforzia:

“Parents and children on research trials have reported a significant improvement in quality of life from eating peanut daily and reducing their risk of an allergic reaction if there is accidental peanut consumption.”

The demand for peanut immunotherapy outstrips current National Health Service (NHS) capacity and requires services to develop a national consensus on how best to offer Palforzia® in a safe and equitable manner.

There is urgent need to increase the clinical capacity for allergy services to undertake diagnostic food challenges in the NHS as well as developing Palforzia® immunotherapy pathways.

BSACI  authors of the guidance  agree that families of peanut allergic children should be made aware of immunotherapy, subject to availability in their areas.

Co-author Nick Makwana explains:

“This treatment reduces the anxiety around accidentally eating peanut, because they are less likely to have a risky reaction if it happens.”

Guidance is also included on how to consent, prepare and monitor children and young people taking peanut immunotherapy, as well as recommendations to ensure it is safely practiced in clinics. The statements are now published online for clinical practice in the UK in Clinical & Experimental Allergy, the official journal of BSACI.

To access the guidance click here.