DBV Technologies, based in the Greater Paris area, is a company that specializes in researching and developing medical solutions, notably ways of treating a variety of allergies. The French firm has come up with an epicutaneous patch which is called Viaskin, after the method of its application.
Epicutaneous immunotherapy is seen as a very promising avenue of research, especially for treating allergies affecting young children. This is because it doesn’t involve painful injections or require the administering of oral drops or tablets.
By clicking on the picture below you’ll be able to see which allergies DBV Technologies is targeting and how the patch actually works. In brief, the patch is covered with a thin layer of antigens, which turn into liquid form when worn on the skin. In this form they penetrate the epidermis and enter the Langerhans cells. These cells are extremely tolerogenic (in other words, they are less likely to trigger an allergic reaction when coming into contact with antigens). This makes them the perfect end destination for the antigens in the patch and ensures that this method is safer than others.