Could the Viaskin® patch make DBV-Technologies into a household name for allergy sufferers?

The name of DBV-Technologies might not as yet be familiar to most of you, but if you are affected by allergies in any way, especially food allergies, watch this space!

This French firm’s claim to fame is a revolutionary approach to treating and diagnosing a range of different allergies. The Viaskin® patch, seen below, has the potential to offer pain-free allergy treatment and diagnosis, something that has largely eluded the medical world up to now.

"The Viaskin® patch"
Source : http://www.dbv-technologies.com

Being able to offer a painless alternative to standard treatments is all the more important because so many allergy sufferers are young children. DBV-Technologies’ epicutaneous immunotherapy approach works by desensitizing allergy victims’ immune systems to the offending antigens. This is performed by exposing the patient to very small amounts of the allergen that triggers the allergic reaction in their body. The patch hydrates the skin to facilitate the passage of the allergen through the skin layer and into the body without the need to break the blood-skin barrier, which can be both painful and risky. DBV-Technologies are currently working on patches to treat house dust mite, peanut and cow’s milk protein allergies.