The FDA has approved its first treatment for peanut allergies in children in US, BBC reports.

The drug AR101, or Palforzia, uses oral immunotherapy, with children given tiny but increasing amounts of peanut protein over a six-month period under medical supervision.

After that, users must continue to take a daily dose to be able to tolerate accidental exposure.

Palforzia is sprinkled on food

The treatment is not a cure and makers warn that the risk of a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction remains. And patients must continue to avoid peanuts in their diet.

Palforzia, which has been approved for use in patients aged between four and 17, comes in the form of a powder which is sprinkled on food.

The drug is the first to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The drug has not yet been authorized for use in the UK.