Oral Immunotherapy Proven Cost-Effective for Childhood Peanut Allergy

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) for peanut allergy in children offers significant clinical and economic value compared to no treatment, according to a new Australian study.

Peanut allergy affects millions of children and can be life-threatening. Since the first OIT product was approved in 2020, questions have centered on whether its benefits justify the cost and side effects.

Researchers analyzed data from 201 children aged 1-10 in a multicenter randomized trial, modeling outcomes over 10 years. Both standard OIT and probiotic-enhanced OIT (PPOIT) dramatically increased remission rates-35.1% and 34.1% annually, respectively-versus just 7.3% with no treatment.

While costs per patient were higher (A$3,582 for OIT; A$3,956 for PPOIT versus A$249 untreated), the therapies proved cost-effective per remission achieved. PPOIT delivered superior gains in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), making it the better value despite marginally lower remission than OIT.

Adverse event costs were low across all groups, indicating safety concerns don’t undermine economic benefits. The study concludes that OIT-especially PPOIT-should be considered for broader clinical use where resources permit.