Breakthrough peanut allergy treatment program launched in Australia

In a groundbreaking initiative, infants with peanut allergies across Australian hospitals will now have access to a life-changing treatment program aimed at building tolerance to this common allergy. The pioneering program, the first of its kind in the world, is a collaboration between the National Centre of Excellence in Allergy (NACE) and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI).

Known as the ADAPT OIT Program, it is tailored for infants under 12 months who have been diagnosed with a peanut allergy and are under the care of allergy specialists at ten children’s hospitals in five states in Australia. The treatment, provided free of charge to eligible candidates, involves a carefully planned daily dose of peanut powder taken at home for a period of two years, as outlined by the MCRI.

The primary goal is to shift the allergy management paradigm from strict peanut avoidance to promoting safe tolerance and, ideally, achieving remission.

Professor Kirsten Perrett, Director of NACE and Head of Population Allergies at MCRI, has outlined her vision to reshape the allergic disease landscape in Australia to allow more children to attend school without the looming threat of a life-threatening allergic reaction to peanuts.

Speaking to CNN in a telephone interview, Perrett described the program, already underway, as “really exciting.”

“Children under 12 months who have been diagnosed with peanut allergy will be offered the treatment program as a new standardized care model in these ten pediatric hospitals, and it will be provided free of charge, which is really remarkable. These are public hospitals in Australia.”

Perrett expects the program to receive strong demand.

“Australia is the allergy capital of the world, with 5 million people living with allergic conditions, and peanut allergy affects around 3% of 12-month-old children in Australia. So, there are clearly a lot of children who are eligible, and we hope to see hundreds of babies receiving treatment under this program within the first two years.”