Huge strides are being made in the field of epicutaneous immunotherapy. Click here if you’d like to discover more about the Paris firm that’s leading the charge.

Allergies have probably never been more prominent in the public consciousness than they are now. Widespread allergies encompass foodstuffs like seafood and cow’s milk.

DBV Technologies is now leading the way in combatting certain allergies through the Viaskin Patch (http://www.dbv-technologies.com/en/viaskin-technology/viaskin-patch).

As the name suggests, this epicutaneous patch is applied to the skin. The main components of the patch are made up of its adhesive crown next to the skin and a titanium backing.

The strategy behind the Viaskin patch might surprise you by its simplicity. An electrostatically-charged spray of protein compound (the antigen) is sprayed onto the patch’s backing.Unlike in an injection, the antigens are solubilized and pass directly into the body’s most tolerogenic cells, the Langerhans cells, without entering the bloodstream. This gradually ‘tones down’ the body’s reaction to these antigens.

This method is being trialled in various versions, including Viaskin egg.