Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, will pay up to $111 million to a French company in a deal to develop and market a milk allergy test for infants, says Reuters. The transaction “complements the company’s market-leading infant formula business” and is part of Nestle’s expansion into health services, said the news agency.
An estimated 2-3 percent of infants and toddlers are allergic to cow milk protein and many others have symptoms that suggest the condition, so there is a need for a simple diagnostic test, said Nestlé and DBV Technologies. Nestlé will pay $11 million for rights to the skin patch test, with the rest of the money to follow upon successful development of it. DBV is conducting clinical trials of a skin patch to treat peanut allergy.
Nestlé’s products include formula for infants allergic to cow’s milk, said Reuters. A Nestle official said a skin patch test could be a breakthrough diagnostic tool for the cow’s milk protein allergy.