GlobalData: First peanut allergy therapy unlikely to be a good choice for all patients

Rose Joachim, Immunology Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view on the therapy's future:

The FDA’s Allergenic Products Advisory Committee gave Palforzia a resounding vote of confidence and GlobalData believes that the committee’s strong support for Palforzia, despite its imperfections, highlights just how extreme the level of unmet need has become within the peanut allergy space.

Although GlobalData expects Palforzia will be the first FDA-approved therapy for peanut allergy, it is unlikely the therapy will be a good choice for all patients. This was made clear in GlobalData’s conversations with key opinion leaders (KOLs) and community allergists. Firstly, these physicians strongly questioned the use of a peanut OIT in the treatment of younger children, who may be too immature to comply with certain safety requirements and patients with exceptionally high peanut allergen sensitivity. Additionally, physicians interviewed by GlobalData noted that many patients would turn down the therapy because they are reluctant to invest the time, unwilling to cope with side effects, or simply too fearful.

The fact that Palforzia may only be used in certain patients segments is something GlobalData has taken into consideration with the company estimating that by 2027, 65% of US patients with a peanut allergy under the age of 18 will be receiving allergen immunotherapy. This includes around 74% of children under the age of 12 and 37% of adolescents aged 12 – 17. In total, roughly 60% of those patients are expected to receive Palforzia. When broken down by age, this represents 54% of treated children under the age of 12 and 89% of treated adolescents."