First therapy for peanut allergy – Palforzia – approved by FDA

Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies in the world, affecting more than 1.6 million children and teens in the United States alone. It can be a chronic and life-long condition, and reactions to peanut can range from mild to potentially life-threatening, with one in five peanut-allergic patients visiting emergency rooms each year due to accidental exposures.

“Peanut allergy is more common now than ever before and has become a serious public health concern. The food allergy community has been eagerly awaiting an FDA-approved treatment that can help mitigate allergic reactions to peanut and, as allergists, we want nothing more than to have a treatment option to offer our patients that has demonstrated both the safety and efficacy to truly impact the lives of patients who live with peanut allergy,” said Christina Ciaccio, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine and Chief of Allergy/Immunology and Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center and Biological Sciences.

This week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Palforzia for first time use with children and teens with peanut allergy. Palforzia was developed by Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, which develops treatments for potentially life-threatening food allergies. PALFORZIA is an oral immunotherapy indicated for the mitigation of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, that may occur with accidental exposure to peanut. PALFORZIA is approved for use in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of peanut allergy. Initial dose escalation may be administered to patients aged 4 through 17 years. Up-dosing and maintenance may be continued in patients 4 years of age and older. PALFORZIA is to be used in conjunction with a peanut-avoidant diet. PALFORZIA is not indicated for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

“This is a defining moment for the peanut allergy community and for Aimmune Therapeutics, and we are excited to bring the first FDA-approved treatment for peanut allergy to patients and their families,” said Jayson Dallas, M.D., President and CEO of Aimmune Therapeutics. “Our commercial field team is ready to begin engaging with allergists to help them prepare to safely incorporate PALFORZIA into their practices and, with approval in hand, our payer team can also immediately begin work to secure formulary access to PALFORZIA. We view this approval as just the beginning for Aimmune, and it underscores our continued commitment to bringing innovative treatments to people with potentially life-threatening food allergies.”

“Not only is PALFORZIA the first approved therapy for peanut allergy, but it is the first approved therapy for any food allergy,” said Daniel Adelman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Aimmune Therapeutics. “We truly appreciate the efforts of the peanut allergy community who contributed to the development of PALFORZIA – including the more than 1,200 patients and their families who participated in our clinical trials, the study investigators and their staff, the advocacy community, and our dedicated employees – all of whom have helped us develop and deliver this first-of-its kind therapy.”

PALFORZIA is a complex biologic drug used with a structured dosing approach that builds on a century of oral immunotherapy (OIT) research. With OIT, the specific allergenic proteins are ingested initially in very small quantities, followed by incrementally increasing amounts, resulting in the ability to mitigate allergic reactions to the allergen over time. PALFORZIA is a rigorously developed, pharmaceutical-grade OIT for peanut allergy with a well-defined allergen profile to assure that every dose, whether 0.5 mg (equivalent to 1/600^th of a peanut) or 300 mg, has been prepared and analyzed for consistency.

PALFORZIA is available only through a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Requirements of the REMS include: the prescribing physician and patient must be enrolled in the REMS prior to initiation of treatment; the initial dose escalation and the first dose of each up-dosing level must be administered in a certified healthcare setting; epinephrine must always be immediately available to patients; and pharmacies/distributors must be certified with the REMS and dispense PALFORZIA only to certified healthcare settings or to patients who are enrolled in the REMS. Consistent with approved immunotherapies indicated to treat allergic conditions, the Prescribing Information for PALFORZIA contains a boxed warning.

Aimmune will provide resources to patients and families who, upon consultation with their physician, wish to seek treatment with PALFORZIA. These resources will include educational materials, a dedicated call center, a co-pay program for eligible patients, and a Patient Assistance Program to provide PALFORZIA at no cost to eligible patients. “Peanut allergy carries an overwhelming psychosocial burden that impacts patients and their families daily – peanuts are everywhere, and the threat of a severe