The Associated Press

The first drug designed to protect the 1.5 million Americans who are severely allergic to even the smallest trace of peanuts also may aid millions with other food allergies, researchers say.

The drug, called TNX-901, significantly increased the threshold of sensitivity to peanuts during trials, according to data presented recently to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

The still-experimental drug should let people avoid severe complications if they unknowingly eat one or two peanuts, the typical accidental exposure.

Since the drug is designed to grab immunoglobulin-E, or IgE, a molecule that plays a major part in asthma and allergies, it might also help as many as 8 million Americans with other food allergies.

The drug is still years away from market. A critical third round of tests has been stalled by legal infighting among the three companies with rights to it.

Patients would need lifelong monthly shots of the drug and still would have to guard against eating peanuts.