First ever drug approved to treat peanut allergies

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - It’s a major breakthrough in the fight against food allergies and a story every parent needs to hear. A new drug has just been approved to help ease the severe, and sometimes deadly reactions, from peanut allergies.

This new drug is named Palforzia. Called by some people as the peanut drug, it’s the first ever treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration for kids between the ages of 4 to 17.

Palforzia forces the patient's immune system to learn how to tolerate peanuts, and it slowly convinces their body to not have a deadly reaction. Palforzia works in three phases, and a doctor is there every step of the way.

The first phase is a single dose on day one, administered and monitored by a doctor. The second phase takes place over several months, and your doctor will up the dose 11 times. If all goes well, you can take the pill at home, once a day, for the final phase.

This new pill really is a game changer, but it's important to remember that Palforzia is not a cure for peanut allergies. It's meant to help the body build up a tolerance to allergies, and over time, lower the risk of any allergic reactions.

You may remember back in the day doctors told parents to keep their kids away from peanuts, at least for a few years, and especially if they had allergies. But that thought process has changed.

In fact a recent study found parents who feed their kids food with peanuts in them, at an earlier age, were less likely to develop a peanut allergy.

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