Peanut OIT Safe With Slow Up-Dosing, Low Maintenance Dosing

THURSDAY, May 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) using slow up-dosing and low maintenance dosing seems safe for young children, according to a study published online May 6 in The Lancet Regional Health: Europe.Susanna Klevebro, M.D., Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues examined the efficacy and safety of three years of peanut OIT with slow up-dosing every four to six weeks and low maintenance dosing (285 mg peanut protein) followed by four to six weeks of a peanut-free diet in 75 peanut-allergic toddlers aged 1 to 3 years. The children were randomly assigned to peanut OIT or avoidance (50 and 25 participants, respectively).The researchers found that 82 percent of children achieved sustained unresponsiveness to a cumulative dose of ≥750 mg peanut protein after OIT. Before the peanut-free period, 84 percent of children in the OIT group tolerated ≥750 mg peanut protein compared with 12 percent of children in the avoidance group. After treatment, the median cumulative tolerated dose was 5,000 mg peanut protein, compared with 3 mg after three years of avoidance. Overall, in 0.7 percent of administered peanut doses, adverse events occurred, which were mostly mild. Eight severe dose-related events were reported by six children; these events were defined as affecting breathing, affecting general well-being, or anaphylaxis."All children who followed the protocol achieved the goal of eating three and a half peanuts without experiencing an allergic reaction, and most were able to consume up to 25 peanuts," coauthor Caroline Nilsson, M.D., Ph.D., also from Karolinska Institute, said in a statement. "We consider the treatment to be safe if it is carried out under controlled conditions in a health care setting."Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical and nutrition industries.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Peanut OIT Safe With Slow Up-Dosing, Low Maintenance Dosing

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