Long-term, open-label extension study of the efficacy and safety of epicutaneous immunotherapy for peanut allergy in children: PEOPLE 3-year results

J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020 Oct;146(4):863-874. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.06.028. Epub 2020 Jul 10.

Abstract

Background: The PEPITES (Peanut EPIT Efficacy and Safety) trial, a 12-month randomized controlled study of children with peanut allergy and 4 to 11 years old, previously reported the safety and efficacy of epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) for peanut allergy (250 μg, daily epicutaneous peanut protein; DBV712 250 μg).

Objective: We sought to assess interim safety and efficacy of an additional 2 years of EPIT from the ongoing (5-year treatment) PEOPLE (PEPITES Open-Label Extension) study.

Methods: Subjects who completed PEPITES were offered enrollment in PEOPLE. Following an additional 2 years of daily DBV712 250 μg, subjects who had received DBV712 250 μg in PEPITES underwent month-36 double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge with an optional month-38 sustained unresponsiveness assessment.

Results: Of 213 eligible subjects who had received DBV712 250 μg in PEPITES, 198 (93%) entered PEOPLE, of whom 141 (71%) had assessable double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge at month 36. At month 36, 51.8% of subjects (73 of 141) reached an eliciting dose of ≥1000 mg, compared with 40.4% (57 of 141) at month 12; 75.9% (107 of 141) demonstrated increased eliciting dose compared with baseline; and 13.5% (19 of 141) tolerated the full double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge of 5444 mg. Median cumulative reactive dose increased from 144 to 944 mg. Eighteen subjects underwent an optional sustained unresponsiveness assessment; 14 of those (77.8%) maintained an eliciting dose of ≥1000 mg at month 38. Local patch-site skin reactions were common but decreased over time. There was no treatment-related epinephrine use in years 2 or 3. Compliance was high (96.9%), and withdrawals due to treatment-related adverse events were low (1%).

Conclusions: These results demonstrate that daily EPIT treatment for peanut allergy beyond 1 year leads to continued response from a well-tolerated, simple-to-use regimen.

Keywords: EPIT; Peanut allergy; desensitization; eliciting dose; epicutaneous immunotherapy; food allergy; immunotherapy; sustained unresponsiveness.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Cutaneous
  • Adolescent
  • Allergens / administration & dosage
  • Allergens / immunology*
  • Biomarkers
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Desensitization, Immunologic* / adverse effects
  • Desensitization, Immunologic* / methods
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin E / immunology
  • Male
  • Peanut Hypersensitivity / immunology*
  • Peanut Hypersensitivity / therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Allergens
  • Biomarkers
  • Immunoglobulin E