The manufacturer Stallergenes Greer has announced the worldwide discontinuation of the distribution of Palforzia. The preparation for oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy will soon no longer be sold. With the market withdrawal, the only approved drug treatment option for this patient group in the EU is no longer available. Children are particularly affected. The manufacturer has announced an orderly phase-out. Other approaches, such as epicutaneous immunotherapies, are under development but have not yet been approved.

The withdrawal is voluntary for strategic and commercial reasons and, according to the manufacturer, is not related to the safety, quality or efficacy of the drug.

Palforzia was the first and so far only drug approved in the EU for desensitization in children with peanut allergy. It received approval for patients aged 4 to 17 years in 2020 and an extension to children aged 1 to 3 years in 2025. In Germany, reimbursement was provided by the statutory health insurance companies.

Peanut allergy is the most common cause of severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reactions in children. Those affected must strictly avoid peanuts and always have emergency medication available, including an adrenaline auto-injector. Unintentional shots of hidden peanuts remain common despite precautions.

Palforzia is administered in a gradual dose increase. The therapy begins with very small amounts of peanut protein and reaches a daily maintenance dose of 300 mg of peanut protein (equivalent to about one peanut). Pivotal clinical trials showed that 67 to 68 percent of the treated children aged 4 to 17 years achieved a significantly higher response threshold (tolerance to about 600 mg of peanut protein) compared to only 4 to 9 percent in the placebo group. In children 1 to 3 years of age, the success rate was 74 percent versus 6 percent with placebo. Mild to moderate side effects such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or tingling in the mouth often occurred, less often more severe reactions.

The therapy improved individual safety from accidental exposures and led to an increase in quality of life. Affected families thus gained more leeway in kindergarten, school and leisure activities.

Stallergenes Greer is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Baar, Switzerland. It specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies through allergen immunotherapy (AIT).

The company develops, manufactures and markets products and services for personalized allergy treatment, including sublingual and subcutaneous immunotherapies for respiratory allergies as well as specialized extracts. It is considered one of the global leaders in this field, emphasizing precision medicine as well as personalized therapies.

In the USA, Stallergenes Greer is headquartered in Lenoir (North Carolina) and offers, among other things, allergy extracts for humans and animals (veterinary). The company has more than 100 years of experience in allergy research and therapy.

Stallergenes Greer was the owner and marketer of Palforzia®, the first approved oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy in children, but it will be discontinued globally from July 2026.

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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