DBV Technologies CEO: Peanut Allergy Patch Propelling Profile, Stock

DBV Technologies profile in the U.S. has risen along with its stock since the French biotech listed its shares on the Nasdaq in October, said the company's CEO Dr. Pierre-Henri Benhamou. DBV Technologies has developed a patented patch to fight peanut allergies it calls Viaskin that is designed to deliver an allergen to intact skin while avoiding entry into the bloodstream. Benhamou said Viaskin will enter Phase III trials in the second half of 2015 with the goal of hitting the market in late 2017 or early 2018. Food allergies, mainly peanut, are responsible for 150 to 200 deaths every year in the United States and about 200,000 emergency room visits, according to recent studies.