What to Know: Viaskin, a product from biopharmaceutical company DBV Technologies, is a new wearable patch that could prevent severe peanut allergies in toddlers.

How it Works: The patch contains a very small dose of peanut protein. A new patch is placed between the shoulder blades of a child each day as the skin works to absorb the protein. Immune cells then help suppress an allergic response. This trial is the first to examine a non-oral option for children under 4 years old.

The Results: According to the New England Journal of Medicine, "The primary finding [of the study] is that after receiving treatment with the peanut patch for a year, 67.0% of the toddlers in the intervention group could safely ingest the peanut-protein equivalent of approximately three to four peanuts or approximately one peanut, depending on how sensitive to peanut they were at baseline."

This late-stage trial tested a group of 200+ children ages 1 - 3. While this patch isn't made to eliminate the allergy in its entirety, Dr. Pharis Mohideen, DBV Technologies’ chief medical officer says, “We’re trying to build a protective layer for them so that if there is an accidental peanut exposure, they won’t have a reaction, or that reaction will be very mild ..."

What's Next? DBV Technologies plans to eventually submit their product to the FDA for approval, Mohideen said, "but added that the agency has asked the company to gather more safety data about the patch in both toddlers and children before it applies. There is no specific timeline for completing an application yet ..." (NBC News).

Good News for Toddlers with Peanut Allergy (New England Journal of Medicine)

A 'peanut patch' desensitized toddlers with peanut allergies in a promising late-stage trial (NBC News)