One company has been making waves recently with its innovative research into allergy treatments. DBV-Technologies (http://www.dbv-technologies.com) is a French firm that has set itself the goal of tackling some of the most prevalent allergies in existence today.
Source : http://www.dbv-technologies.com
Allergies affect up to half a billion people the world over – a sizeable portion of the planet’s population. Their impact is particularly felt in the western world. The main issue connected with food allergies, aside their ‘nuisance’ factor, is the ever-present threat of anaphylaxis. This is the medical term for a severe allergic reaction that can have potentially fatal consequences.
Many different foods can trigger this reaction, including egg, fish, crustaceans and, most common of all, peanuts. DBV-Technologies’ solution has been to develop a simple patch that is worn on the affected individual’s skin. This patch slowly releases antigens (the compounds that provoke the body’s immune response in the first place) into the skin. Bit by bit, the body becomes ‘desensitized’ to the compound, until it no longer triggers an allergic reaction at all, or at least, the reaction is very mild.
Along with peanut and house dust mite patches, the company has been working on a patch capable of treating Cow’s Milk Protein allergy, a condition that affects many infants every year