Why the World’s Largest Food Company Saw Promise in a Peanut Allergy Drug
Nestlé recognized that food allergies continued to worsen and although the drug failed, new approaches are needed
In January of 2020, the first drug for peanut allergies, Palforzia, was approved by the FDA. It was the first and only FDA-approved treatment to help reduce the severity and frequency of peanut allergies, which increased 3.5-fold over the past two decades reaching 1.4–2% of the population in Europe and the United States. The company that made the drug was bought by Nestlé, the world’s largest publicly held food corporation, later that same year. The move made sense for Nestlé, as preventing such a common food allergy for the world’s largest food company meant more revenue. Couple this with the fact that the drug was hella expensive and you have a winning formula.
“This transaction brings together Nestlé’s nutritional science leadership with one of the most innovative companies in food allergy treatment,” said Nestlé Health Science CEO Greg Behar. “Together we will be able to offer a wide range of solutions that can transform the lives of people suffering from food allergies around the world.”
Last month, however, Nestlé divested and sold the rights to the drug.
The timing of the medication may have a lot to do with its failure. With COVID in 2020, fewer people were seen in doctor’s offices and this medication had to be given in person as it was an injection. Also, the cost of the treatment and its administration, 5 total doses in the allergist’s office with 30–60 minutes of observation after injection, made widespread use less likely.
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And while this is one explanation for the drug’s failure, it is important to understand the reasons food allergies occur, how they can be prevented and what other approaches are being taken to quell the rising rates of allergic reactions to food.
The allergy spectrum
Allergies can range from mild to severe. Severe allergic reactions, called anaphylaxis, are one of the most common emergencies seen every day across the country. Allergies can simply be defined as an immune response to an ingested, inhaled or topical substance. This can range from mild to…
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