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A man with a life-threatening peanut allergy is living a near-normal life after taking part in a “life-changing” study which gradually saw him exposed to peanuts.
Richard Lassiter’s allergy is so severe that he has been admitted to hospital many times after accidentally eating peanuts.
But now the 44-year-old eats four peanuts each morning which he said is like “taking his medicine”.
Experts say that previous desensitisation studies are focused on children, so adults with a peanut allergy are not offered this type of treatment.

But the new study indicates that this could be a potential treatment for adults moving forward.
Health officials say the trial gives hope to thousands of people.
The peanut desensitisation, also known as oral immunotherapy, works by introducing micro amounts of peanuts and gradually increasing the dosage to build up immunity.
Researchers from King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom stress that this type of treatment should only be initiated under very close supervision.
The new study, published in the journal Allergy, saw 18 adults with a typical peanut allergy gradually desensitised to peanuts.
After their allergy was confirmed by teams in hospital, patients were given small amounts of peanut flour to eat at home, starting with the equivalent of 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent of a whole peanut.
It’s been life-changing for me – it’s increased my confidence immeasurably
Richard Lassiter, desensitised peanut allergy sufferer
Their dosage increased gradually and once they could tolerate 50-100mg of peanut protein they were switched to eating whole peanuts, peanut butter or other peanut products.
By the end of the study, which was funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research, two thirds (67 per cent) were able to eat the equivalent of five peanuts without reacting.
Chief investigator Stephen Till, professor of allergy at King’s College London and consultant allergist at Guy’s and St Thomas’, says: “The problem is that once I see [adult] patients in my clinic, there’s been nothing that we’ve been able to do to them – we can’t offer them desensitisation because the data is all from young children – in medicine you can’t give treatment to children or to adults based on a clinical trial that’s been performed in the other group.

“So we have got, and continue to have, this sort of big unmet need of adults with peanut allergy.
“We were really pleased because we got the evidence that we hoped we would get – we saw results that were broadly in line with what had been obtained from studies in young children.
“Our phase-two study suggests that this treatment is potentially effective in adults.”
But he says larger studies are needed to confirm findings, and stresses that food immunotherapy “definitely must be done under very close clinical supervision”.
Lassiter, an executive coach from Greater London in the UK, was diagnosed with a peanut allergy as a child.
He says that he “managed” his condition but always felt nervous eating out.
“I had a really severe episode on our once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Chile with my wife in 2018 that changed everything,” he says.
The episode occurred when they were on holiday “1,000 miles from anywhere” when he was given food with peanuts in.
Lassiter took his auto-injector pen and his inhaler to ease his breathing, and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
For too long, people have navigated daily life in fear of accidental exposure that could be life-threatening
Ashley Dalton, the UK’s public health minister, on living with a peanut allergy
He had to stay in a high dependency unit overnight where he needed adrenaline and oxygen.
“It was a real shock, because obviously we’re a long way away from home,” he says.
“I recall saying to my wife: ‘I can’t keep dealing with this, it’s just so terrifying’.”
On another occasion, during a meal out in Soho in London, Lassiter says he accidentally ate peanuts hidden under some ice cream.
“Within a few seconds, I knew I was in trouble.
“By the time I was in St Thomas’s [hospital in central London] it was pretty bad – I remember I’d swollen up to a huge size relative to my normal size and asking the nurse if I was going to make it.”
Speaking about the new study, he says: “I got to the point where I was having a total of four peanuts a day, which I still take to this day.
“This morning I had my four peanuts after I ate my breakfast, as if it was some sort of a teaspoon of medicine.”
He adds: “It’s been life-changing for me – it’s increased my confidence immeasurably.

“It’s had a huge effect on my life. I feel much calmer, much happier and really excited about the ability to do all of these things in the future.”
Commenting on the study, UK public health minister Ashley Dalton said: “This groundbreaking research offers hope to thousands living with peanut allergies.
“For too long, people have navigated daily life in fear of accidental exposure that could be life-threatening.”
Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care and chief executive of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) says: “These results mark an important milestone in allergy treatment and offer new hope to adults living with peanut allergies.
“For adults who have long lived with the daily burden and fear of accidental exposure they may have a pathway toward greater safety and an improved quality of life.”
Commenting on the study, Adam Fox, chair of the National Allergy Study Group, and professor of paediatric allergy at King’s College London, said: “Conventional wisdom has been that oral immunotherapy for food is really just for children and there is clear evidence that the younger it is started, the safer and better the outcome.
“However, that doesn’t mean that the benefits would not still be worthwhile for adults, and this study shows that for many, oral immunotherapy for peanut at least, can still make a real difference.
“This is only a small study and we hope to see larger studies to follow, but it’s an important proof of principle that this may well be a treatment for adults too.
“However, this treatment requires careful medical supervision and should never be attempted without this.”
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Microdosing peanuts relieves peanut allergy in adults, ‘life-changing’ research shows

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Adults allergic to peanuts can be desensitised to them by taking microdoses of the nuts, a therapy already used on children, research shows


Adults allergic to peanuts can be desensitised to them by taking microdoses of the nuts, a therapy already used on children, research shows.


Healthy eating

Microdosing peanuts relieves peanut allergy in adults, ‘life-changing’ research shows

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Adults allergic to peanuts can be desensitised to them by taking microdoses of the nuts, a therapy already used on children, research shows

Adults allergic to peanuts can be desensitised to them by taking microdoses of the nuts, a therapy already used on children, research shows