Allergy Therapeutics plc (AIM: AGY), a UK-based biotechnology company that specialises in allergy vaccines, announced on Tueday that it has commenced subcutaneous dosing of peanut allergic patients in its Phase I/IIa PROTECT trial for the virus-like particle (VLP)-based peanut allergy vaccine candidate, VLP Peanut.

The trial, evaluating safety and efficacy, has observed no safety signals in skin-prick testing for peanut allergic patients in the Phase I stage. With incremental subcutaneous dosing initiated in both healthy volunteers and peanut allergic patients, the trial progresses to its double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIa stage for peanut allergic subjects in the US.

Conducted internationally, the PROTECT trial includes subcutaneous immunotherapy dosing in healthy volunteers and skin-prick testing in peanut allergic patients. The Phase IIa stage is expected to enroll up to 36 peanut-allergic subjects, contingent on dosing advancements.