Viaskin Patch Effective in Peanut-Allergic Kids with Atopic Comorbidities

A recent phase 3 trial showed that 12 months of treatment with VIASKIN® peanut patch (VP250) was effective and safe in desensitizing peanut allergies in children aged 1 – 3 years, regardless of atopic comorbidities.1

Children with peanut allergies have a high prevalence of atopic comorbidities, with many also living with atopic dermatitis, asthma, or another food allergy.

A study reported that approximately half of children with food allergies experience respiratory symptoms. About 45% of individuals with asthma have sensitization to ≥ 1 food, such as egg, cow’s milk, soy, peanut, wheat, and fish.2 Moreover, a study documented the prevalence of food allergy in atopic dermatitis to be 20% to 80%, and common allergens to trigger atopic dermatitis include milk, peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat, seafood, and shellfish.3

Investigators, led by Amy M. Scurlock, a pediatric allergist/immunologist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and an associate professor at the University of Arkansas for medical sciences, conducted EPITOPE, a phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, to assess whether concomitant atopic comorbidities impacted the safety and efficacy of 12-month daily VP250 in children with peanut allergies.1 The analysis also evaluated response rates and safety for prespecified subgroups, such as children with asthma, atopic dermatitis, or concomitant food allergy.

This study followed a subgroup analysis published in September 2022 that included peanut-allergic children aged 4 – 11 years enrolled in PEPITES (12-month) and REALISE (6-month) phase 3 trials examining the efficacy and safety of VP250 versus placebo in participants with or without comorbid atopic conditions at baseline.4 This subgroup analysis found children on VP250 had significantly greater responder rates than those on placebo (P < .05), with similar safety and tolerability profiles across subgroups. The analysis also showed greater responder and local reaction rates in patients with atopic dermatitis, and more treatment-emergent adverse events, excluding anaphylaxis, in those with concomitant food allergy.

“The results described here suggest that the ongoing presence of asthma, [atopic dermatitis], and other food allergies does not impact the efficacy or safety profile of Viaskin Peanut 250 μg in children with peanut allergy,” wrote Carla M. Davis, MD, from Baylor College of Medicine, and colleagues.4

Scurlock and colleagues’ recent study included 362 participants, with 244 randomized to the VP250 arm and 118 to the placebo arm.1 However, only 208 participants on VP250 and 99 on placebo completed the study. At baseline, 18.2% of participants had asthma, 80.1% had atopic dermatitis, and 66.9% had a concomitant food allergy.

Children treated with VP250 had significantly greater responder rates than those on placebo. This finding was consistent among children with atopic comorbidities, with no significant difference in responder rates between participants with an atopic comorbidity and those without.

Additionally, the study found the safety of VP250 was generally similar across patients with several atopic comorbidities or no comorbidities. The severity of atopic dermatitis had no clinically meaningful change with VP250.

One safety concern noted was that children with atopic dermatitis or concomitant food allergy who received VP250 had greater rates of anaphylaxis compared to those without these conditions. However, patients with atopic dermatitis or concomitant food allergy had greater anaphylaxis rates with or without VP250.

“The results suggest that 12 months of treatment with VP250 was effective in desensitizing peanut-allergic children aged 1 through 3 years, with no difference in efficacy and a favorable safety profile, regardless of the presence of atopic comorbidities,” the team concluded.

References

1. Scurlock AM, Fleischer DM, Toit GD, Arends NJT, Pongracic JA, Trujillo J, Turner P, Vogelberg C, Bee KJ, Green TD, Meney J, Bois T, Campbell DE, Sampson HA, Burks AW. Efficacy and Safety of Epicutaneous Immunotherapy in Peanut-allergic Children with Atopic Comorbidities. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2025 Apr 7:S1081-1206(25)00179-6. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2025.04.002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40204253.

2. Cunico D, Giannì G, Scavone S, Buono EV, Caffarelli C. The Relationship Between Asthma and Food Allergies in Children. Children (Basel). 2024 Oct 26;11(11):1295. doi: 10.3390/children11111295. PMID: 39594870; PMCID: PMC11592619.

3. Dhar S, Srinivas SM. Food Allergy in Atopic Dermatitis. Indian J Dermatol. 2016 Nov-Dec;61(6):645-648. doi: 10.4103/0019-5154.193673. PMID: 27904183; PMCID: PMC5122280.

4. Davis CM, Lange L, Beyer K, Fleischer DM, Ford L, Sussman G, Oriel RC, Pongracic JA, Shreffler W, Bee KJ, Campbell DE, Green TD, Lambert R, Peillon A, Bégin P. Efficacy and safety of peanut epicutaneous immunotherapy in patients with atopic comorbidities. J Allergy Clin Immunol Glob. 2022 Sep 22;2(1):69-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jacig.2022.07.009. PMID: 37780103; PMCID: PMC10509968.