DBV Technologies.com, a research firm located in the Greater Paris area, is a major player in the allergy treatment and diagnosis field. The company has focused on several major allergies, affecting large numbers of individuals across the world.
These include peanut allergy, hen’s egg allergy and milk allergy, more exactly, cows’ milk protein allergy or CMPA. Many parents worry about this particular allergy, because it is relatively widespread – up to 3% of children or babies can be affected by it. The symptoms that result are unpleasant and distressing for children and parents alike: skin rash, vomiting and diarrhoea, not to mention the risk of anaphylaxis.
To help beat this and other allergies, DBV-Technologies has developed the Viaskin patch, pictured below. This contains very small quantities of antigens in powdered form which are released into the body through the skin once placed upon a patient’s arm. Given how common many of these allergies are, it’s important to be able to produce Viaskin patches in large quantities, rapidly, should the need arise. With this in mind, work has been progressing on ways of upscaling the manufacturing process used to create Viaskin.