FDA approves 1st peanut allergy drug for kids

Peanuts.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

For the first time, kids with peanut allergies have a treatment option that could help them reduce the risk of allergic reactions.

On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration approved Palforzia, the first peanut allergy drug for kids. Peanuts are one of the most common food allergies in the United States, with about one million children affected, the FDA says. Only one out of five kids will outgrow their allergy. Children with allergies can experience severe reactions, including hives, swelling, and fainting, even when exposed to the smallest amount of peanut.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.