A peanut allergy drug for kids took a step toward FDA approval Friday when a panel voted to green-light the peanut-powder treatment.
A vote on the effectiveness of the medication Palforzia, developed by the drug company Aimmune Therapeutics, passed 7-2. It would become the first FDA-approved food allergy drug if the agency follows the recommendation of the advisory committee.
“This is an important day for the children, teens and their families who live with the profound daily impact of peanut allergy,” Jayson Dallas, the president of Aimmune, said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to work with the FDA as we move towards a potential approval of Palforzia.”
The medication is intended to help reduce reactions in kids ages 4-17. The recommendation came over concerns that the drug could lead to more allergic reactions.
“I voted ‘yes’ because I thought the data was quite clear, and I would actually compliment the sponsor on the extent and caliber of the studies,” Ira Finegold, a professor of medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, told NPR.
The committee voted 8-1 in favor of the treatment’s safety in conjunction with added safeguards for users.
Peanut allergy affects more than 1.6 million children and teens in the U.S., according to Aimmune. The current standard advice for those with peanut allergies is to simply avoid peanuts.
The FDA typically follows advisory committee advice when it comes to drug approval. Final review on Palforzia is due in January.