Not everyone will have heard of epicutaneous immunotherapy, although if you or a loved one suffer from an allergy, the term may be more familiar to you.

The DBV Technologies site is the place to go if you’d like to discover more about the technique of epicutaneous immunotherapy as an approach to treating common allergies. This kind of method involves delivering antigens to the patient’s body through their skin, rather than orally (using drops) or via injections. The gradual delivery of these antigens to the body results in the ‘desensitization’ of the patient to the allergens in question – in other words, they will no longer experience the same kind of allergic reactions as they did in the past. The antigens are contained within a kind of adhesive patch, (Viaskin). A highly-sophisticated piece of technology, the electrospray, which you can see below, is employed to ensure they are sprayed evenly over the surface of the patch. The patch creates a hydrating ‘condensation chamber’ with the skin, and the antigens pass through the epidermis in this way.