Nestlé Health Science and DBV Technologies Partner to Fight Cow Milk Allergy in Infants
31 May 2016 --- Nestlé Health Science is collaborating with DBV Technologies to accelerate development of an innovative diagnostic tool for Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) in infants.
Nestlé Health Science has been granted exclusive worldwide commercialization rights for DBV Technologies’ innovative diagnostic patch-test tool for the diagnosis of Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) in infants – which is a strong fit with the Nestlé Health Science pediatric allergy portfolio.
CMPA is a difficult to diagnose condition, which impacts up to 2-3% of infants and young children during a critical stage of their development. DBV will leverage its proprietary Viaskin technology platform to develop an innovative, ready-to-use, standardized atopy patch-test.
Today, CMPA is often missed in the primary care settings due to the non-specific nature of symptoms associated with the condition, such as eczema, reflux, constipation, diarrhea, crying and others.
In 2015, Nestlé Health Science made a first step forward in addressing this difficulty through the Cow’s Milk-related Symptom Score (CoMiSS) awareness tool, developed by leading international experts to help healthcare professionals earlier recognize and assess symptoms that may be related to CMPA in infants and young children.
In the future, DBV’s patch-test will enable early and accurate diagnosis of the condition, leading to early nutritional intervention, thereby creating a strong fit with Nestlé Health Science’s nutritional solutions that helps meet the needs of babies and children with food allergies and intolerances (Althéra, Alfaré, Alfamino).
Nestlé Health Science will make an upfront payment of EUR 10 million (US$11 million) to DRV under the terms of the agreement. DBV will be responsible for the development stages, including industrialization and regulatory submissions. Moreover, DBV is eligible to receive development milestones, and if approved, sales milestones and royalty payments on sales.
Greg Behar, CEO of Nestlé Health Science, said: “This innovation can become the breakthrough diagnostic for CMPA. Early diagnosis and nutritional intervention helps get infants happily back on the path of healthy development, alleviate the anxieties of parents, and reduce healthcare costs.”
“Our reach in the field of pediatric allergy makes Nestlé Health Science an ideal commercialization partner for DVB’s innovative diagnostic patch. This collaboration is another step in our strategy of advancing the role of nutrition through science-based innovation.”
DBV Technology’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Pierre-Henri Benhamou, said: “Improving the lives of those suffering from food allergies is DBV’s mission, and through this exciting partnership with Nestlé Health Science, we are further showcasing our portfolio of potentially transformational and cutting-edge products.”
“Combining DBV’s innovative and proprietary technology with Nestlé Health Science’s global presence and expertise in nutritional therapies is a synergistic approach that we believe has the potential to improve the overall health of our patients.”
DBV Technologies developed Viaskin, a proprietary technology platform with broad potential applications in immunotherapy. Viaskin is based on epicutaneous immunotherapy, or EPIT, DBV’s method of delivering biologically active compounds to the immune system through intact skin. DBV’s food allergies programs include ongoing clinical trials of Viaskin Peanut and Viaskin Milk, and preclinical development of Viaskin Egg. DBV is also pursuing a human proof concept clinical study of Viaskin Milk for the treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis, and exploring potential applications of its platform in vaccines and other immune diseases.
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