Peanut allergies? There’s a clinical trial looking to fix that

Aimmune Therapeutics, a biotech company developing treatments for food allergies, announced that it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration with Regeneron and Sanofi to develop its AR101 treatment for peanut allergies.

The clinical trial will see AR101 partnered with inflammation-suppressing therapy, Dupixent, in a Phase 2 trial. The trial will determine whether patients receiving the two therapies in combination will be able to tolerate peanut protein, as part of a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge.

Additionally, the study will seek to determine whether patients achieve a sustained unresponsiveness to peanut protein after the treatment cycle has been terminated.

AR101 is a biologic oral immunotherapy that has already progressed through Phase 2 studies and is now awaiting the results of a Phase 3 trial.

"We are excited to work with Regeneron and Sanofi to explore the potential of AR101 and dupilumab to increase both the degree of protection and persistence of protection against exposure to peanut protein," said Aimmune CEO Stephen Dilly. "Our Phase 2 findings showed AR101 was associated with both clinically meaningful levels of desensitization and potential immunomodulatory effects on the IgE-IgG4 ratio and peanut-specific TH2 cells. We look forward to building on these findings and the upcoming readout of our pivotal Phase 3 PALISADE trial through this clinical collaboration."

The success that Aimmune has already achieved with AR101 has won it backers in the form of Nestle SA’s health unit, that bought 15% of the company for $145 million in 2016. Further success has seen shares in the company increase by 52%, with the company now having a market value of approximately $1.3 billion.

The new collaboration trial is expected to begin in 2018. The year could prove to be a pivotal one for the biotech, as it also awaits the readouts from the previously mentioned Phase 3 trial in the same year.