United States: The first-ever clinical trial of its kind demonstrates that severe peanut allergy patients can achieve desensitization through daily allergen exposure.
Peanut Allergy Treatment for Adults
The participants received progressively larger peanut flour doses during months of the trial until two-thirds of them developed tolerance to five peanut equivalents.
Research results indicate that allergic disease treatment options may become available for adults through adult immune system developmental stages, thus benefiting patients with serious allergic conditions.
According to Stephen Till, the professor who led the research at King’s College London, “Constant fear of life-threatening reactions place a huge burden on people with peanut allergy,” the Guardian reported.
“The only way to manage a peanut allergy is strict avoidance and treatment of allergic reactions, including with adrenaline,” Till reported.
“Although peanut immunotherapy is known to be effective in children, this trial provides preliminary evidence that adults can also be desensitised and that this improves quality of life,” the expert added.
The Grown Up Peanut Immunotherapy (GUPI) study enrolled 21 subjects between the ages of 18 and 40 who had peanut allergies.
The participants consumed the first 0.8mg peanut flour dietary mixture, followed by 1.5mg peanut flour administration after thirty minutes and subsequently 3mg peanut flour administration thirty minutes after the initial dose.
The clinical staff administered home doses of peanut equivalent to under one percent of a peanut to participants who showed safe reactions to these minimal amounts.
Regular visits to the clinical site allowed participants to increase their peanut flour dosage through supervised sessions until they achieved the equivalent amount of four peanuts.
PEANUT ALLERGIES JUST GOT OWNED BY SCIENCE
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 24, 2025
Breaking news: adults with life-threatening peanut allergies are now eating peanuts… for science.
And not dying. So that’s new.
In a clinical trial with 21 peanut-allergic adults (aka brave souls), researchers started by feeding… pic.twitter.com/Soh4rMaEJc
Impact on Life of Peanut Allergy Sufferers
After a three-month daily treatment period, the study participants succeeded in consuming five peanut servings containing 1.4g of peanut protein in a manner that avoided adverse reactions in 67% of participants.
Furthermore, as Hannah Hunter, lead author and a specialist allergy dietitian at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, noted, “Living with peanut allergy is a huge burden due to the need for constant vigilance and the risk of accidental exposures,” the Guardian reported.
“Many participants who completed the trial told us that the treatment had been life-changing, and they were no longer living in fear,” Hunter added.