Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a technique that involves feeding an allergic individual increasing quantities of an allergen orally until a maintenance dose is reached, which the patient then consumes daily. The goal of OIT is to raise the threshold that triggers an allergic reaction and train the patient's immune system so that they will no longer experience a severe reaction to the allergen, including anaphylaxis, if they are accidentally exposed.
In the case of a peanut allergy, the patient starts by orally ingesting very small amounts of peanut protein, which is gradually increased over a period of months until a daily maintenance dose is reached. On January 31, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration officially approved PALFORZIA™ [Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Allergen Powder-dnfp] as a standardized OIT product for peanut allergy for patients 4 to 17 years of age.
Source: Vivacare
Last updated : 2/10/2023