The First-Ever Pill for Peanut Allergies Is Coming
This drug is literally life-changing.
Life-changing news for those who suffer from peanut allergies—apparently, the first-ever drug to treat peanut allergies is on its way.
According to the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), peanuts are one of the top food allergies in the country, and the rates of tree and nut allergies have tripled since 1997. But a new clinical trial is showing promising results among those tested, giving hope to peanut-allergic individuals everywhere.
Aimmune Therapeutics, a biotech company in the US, conducted a year-long clinical trial in which they administered daily capsules of their peanut flour to 500 children and teens. By the end of the year, they found that 67 percent of the participants were able to tolerate 660 mg of peanut protein (about two nuts), as compared to the 4 percent of participants on a placebo powder.
But that doesn’t mean you should go buy some peanut protein powder and try it on yourself at home, because even in the controlled trial (with specifically formulated powder), some children faced adverse reactions that caused them to drop of the study.
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And, as you can see from the results, the drug wouldn’t allow your peanut-allergic friend to chow down on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but it would help reduce a life-threatening reaction if they’re exposed to peanuts. Which, when we’re talking about life or death, is huge.
Aimmune is hoping for FDA approval later this year, and is likely to cost—according to the company’s chief executive—$5,000 to $10,000 for the first six months of treatment, and then a cool $400 a month after that. So fingers crossed the only thing inaccurate about these findings is the price, because nobody should have to go bankrupt trying to prevent anaphylactic shock.
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Chloe Metzger is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, overseeing the editorial content and growth strategy of the hair, makeup, and skin space on digital, while also obsessively writing about the best hair products for every hair type (curly girl here; whattup), and the skincare routines that really, truly work (follow her on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes pics of that magazine life). She brings nearly a decade of writing and editing expertise, and her work has appeared in Allure, Health, Fitness, Marie Claire, StyleCaster, and Parents. She also has an unhealthy adoration for Tom Hanks and would like to please meet him one day, if you could arrange that. Thanks.
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