Clinic’s 100th treatment is crunch-time for peanut allergies

A clinic which brings hope to parents of children who suffer potentially life-threatening allergies has just celebrated a landmark moment.

The Cambridge Peanut Allergy Clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, has just treated its 100th private patient with a ground-breaking immunotherapy treatment.

The clinic is the only one its kind in the UK. Other work is going on in preparation for further studies to confirm the effectiveness of the treatment and take this new therapy a step nearer to obtaining a product licence, keeping alive hopes the treatment could one day become available on the NHS.

The treatment was developed by two of the world’s leading allergy experts, Dr Pamela Ewan and Dr Andrew Clark. It involves exposing patients to gradually increasing levels of peanut protein mixed with yoghurt-type products.

Huge demand prompted by national publicity in 2014 about successful trials, although it was too early to obtain NHS commissioning for this treatment. It was therefore offered to paying patients.

The work, initiated in response to figures showing one in 50 children suffer from such allergies, was supported by the MRC-NIHR (Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health Research) partnership.

Dr Clark said: “We are absolutely delighted with the feedback we’ve received from parents and their children about this new treatment.

“Our work to improve and monitor the success of the treatment continues with the ambition of getting accreditation from the regulatory authorities and funding to provide it via the NHS.”

The treatment, involving seven sessions a fortnight apart, has got the thumbs up from one of the patient’s mother who said it was “life-changing”.

She explained: “I really didn't think we were strong enough to go through this, but with the help of other parents and the brilliant team, we've come a long way already. Thank you for developing it, not a cure, but a miracle for families like us.

“My daughter seems to be taking the changes in her stride; I think I'll be in shock for a while longer! I had tears in my eyes when I first told people just how fantastic the changes to her life were.” 

Another patient explained: “The nurses were nice and explained everything perfectly and I liked having my peanut medicine every day and that I got my body used to peanuts.”

To find out more about the Cambridge Peanut Allergy Clinic, email peanut@addenbrookes.nhs.uk or call 01223 256290.