Food sublingual immunotherapy
Food sublingual immunotherapy delivers very small, gradually increasing doses of a food allergen under the tongue, with the aim of raising the amount you can tolerate without a reaction. It is not a cure, and it is not the same as oral immunotherapy, which uses considerably larger doses. It is a slower, safer approach, run one food at a time under physician supervision.
Micro-dosed preparations made from the actual food allergen, retraining the immune system through sublingual exposure — a slower, lower-dose alternative to oral immunotherapy.
- Per food
- build-up, priced individually
- Micro-dosed
- made from the real allergen
- Sublingual
- not oral immunotherapy
Is food sublingual immunotherapy the right route for your child?
- Your child carries a food allergy and you have been offered avoidance and nothing else
- Oral immunotherapy has been suggested and the pace of it worries you
- You want gradual, supervised progress rather than a fixed end date
- You want the diagnosis confirmed properly before any program starts
What food sublingual immunotherapy actually involves
Confirm the allergy first
Component testing and, where appropriate, a supervised oral food challenge — a program should not start from an inherited label.
Micro-dosing begins
Preparations are made from the actual food allergen and given sublingually at micro-doses. First in the office, then at home.
Gradual, not fast
Improvements in tolerance come gradually. This is the slower alternative to oral immunotherapy, and that is the point of it.
One food at a time
There is no build-up fee and no monthly management fee — one flat rate per food, so a program for two foods is two rates.
WHAT IT DOESN’T COVER
Food sublingual immunotherapy is not oral immunotherapy, and it is not a cure. It is a supervised program aimed at gradually increasing tolerance.
Food Allergy SLIT
$1,600 per food, per year, flat
What the fee covers
- Extract and all serum preparation
- Supervised in-office build-up, then home maintenance
- All follow-up visits and high-risk monitoring
- Shipping to your door
- Nine or more allergens available; the same annual rate applies to each food added
Questions about food sublingual immunotherapy
What is the goal of this treatment?
To raise the amount of the food you can tolerate without a reaction. For most families the meaningful outcome is protection against an accidental exposure — a shared utensil, a mislabeled product — rather than being able to eat the food freely. That is a real improvement in daily life and it is worth being precise about what it is.
How is it different from oral immunotherapy?
Oral immunotherapy uses substantially larger doses, swallowed, and generally aims at a higher level of tolerance. Sublingual uses very small doses held under the tongue. The trade-off is pace and dose against magnitude of outcome, and which is appropriate depends on the child, the food, and what the family is trying to achieve.
Is my child a candidate?
The allergy has to be confirmed first — component testing and, where appropriate, a supervised oral food challenge, because a good number of children carry food allergy labels that testing does not support. Beyond that it depends on the food, their age, whether their asthma is well controlled, and what the family wants out of it.
How long does it take?
The build-up is gradual and measured in months rather than weeks, and maintenance continues after that.
Does my child still avoid the food?
Yes, unless and until Dr. Stanga tells you otherwise. The program raises the threshold for a reaction; it does not make the food safe to eat freely. The food will be challenged at various intervals throughout. The epinephrine auto-injector and the emergency action plan stay in place throughout.
Can more than one food be treated?
Yes, though they are built up one at a time, and the fee is per food — $1,600 per food, per year, flat. Nine or more allergens are available, and the same annual rate applies to each food added. There is no build-up fee and no monthly management fee.
What are the side effects?
The most common are mild and local: itching or tingling in the mouth, particularly in the early weeks. More significant reactions are uncommon at these dose levels but are possible, and you will be given clear instructions on what to watch for and when to use epinephrine.
About the status of food sublingual immunotherapy
Food sublingual immunotherapy is not FDA-approved. One oral immunotherapy product for peanut, Palforzia, has FDA approval; food sublingual immunotherapy as offered here does not. It is supported by published research and is offered at a number of allergy practices in the United States, but it should be understood as an investigational approach rather than an approved treatment. It is not a cure, it does not mean the food becomes safe to eat freely, and strict avoidance continues alongside the program unless Dr. Stanga tells you otherwise.
A different approach to allergy treatment starts here
Enrollment takes about two minutes. We'll confirm your visit within one business day and send everything you need beforehand.
