Evelina marks breakthrough in peanut allergy battle thanks to new trial

A boy severely allergic to peanuts can now safely tolerate seven of them thanks to a groundbreaking trial at Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

James Redman, 12, was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy aged three.

He took part in the ARTEMIS trial at the hospital, in Westminster Bridge Road, which is one of the largest peanut allergy trials ever conducted.

It involved being given increasing amounts of peanut protein, for two-and-a-half years.

By the end of the trial James, from Heathfield in East Sussex, was able to tolerate the equivalent of seven whole peanuts, meaning that he is less likely to have a severe reaction in the future.

Zoe Redman, James’ mother, said: “The trial has taken a huge weight off our shoulders. We are now less fearful of James having a serious reaction.

“Before he was diagnosed he had a severe reaction when he was three.

“I was feeding him a well-known brand of curry sauce, which contained three percent peanut.

“He was immediately sick and within a few seconds his eyes were streaming, he started wheezing and his breathlessness was becoming worse by the second.

“He was going into anaphylactic shock and was taken straight to A&E.

“Thankfully the doctors were able to treat it with steroids and nebulisers, but it was an extremely scary experience and our first encounter of this life threatening allergy.

“My mother spotted an article about a pioneering study at Evelina London and I contacted the hospital and sometime later we were invited to take part.

“James still has a peanut allergy and he will probably have to live with it for the rest of his life but he is now less likely to have a severe reaction if he is accidentally exposed. Taking part in the trial has made a huge difference to our lives.”

The ARTEMIS study recruited nearly 200 children and young people aged four to 17 from across Europe to take part in one of the largest peanut allergy treatment trials that had ever been conducted. Evelina London Children’s Hospital recruited the most patients to the study.

Participants either received peanut allergen protein (AR101) or a placebo powder. Doses were gradually increased every two weeks for a year.

Pictured top: James Redman at Evelina London