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Practical Aspects of Transitioning from Intravenous to Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin Therapy in Neuromuscular Disorders. Can J Neurol Sci 2021; 49:161-167. [PMID: 33766159 DOI: 10.1017/cjn.2021.56] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence shows that subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) is as efficacious as intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and has a better safety profile and acceptance rate among patients with neuromuscular disorders who require maintenance IVIG treatment. Awareness of the practical aspects of patient selection, enrollment, dose calculation, administration, and follow-up would help physicians coordinate a smooth and seamless transition from IVIG to SCIG. SCIG is ideally offered to patients having intolerable side effects during IVIG or wearing-off effect and in those keen for treatment autonomy. The weekly dose of SCIG is calculated by multiplying the maintenance dose of IVIG by the dose adjustment factor and dividing by the interval between IVIG in weeks and is initiated 1 week after the last dose of IVIG. The physician places the order for the SCIG and the clinic nurse or the physician refers the patient to the home care nursing program for further education and training. The necessary supplies are dispatched to the patient who would also collect the SCIG from the transfusion center of the nearest hospital. The patient is educated on assembling and administering the infusion, and home visits are continued until the patient or caregiver is confident. Regular follow-up with the patient is maintained to assess treatment response and side effects if any. With a smooth transition, most patients have excellent tolerance to SCIG and in our experience seldom request switching back to IVIG. Transitioning patients from IVIG to SCIG offers several advantages and thus, in general, is preferable for multiple stakeholders.
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Kobayashi RH, Gupta S, Melamed I, Mandujano JF, Kobayashi AL, Ritchie B, Geng B, Atkinson TP, Rehman S, Turpel-Kantor E, Litzman J. Clinical Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability of a New Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin 16.5% (Octanorm [Cutaquig®]) in the Treatment of Patients With Primary Immunodeficiencies. Front Immunol 2019; 10:40. [PMID: 30778345 PMCID: PMC6369354 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Subcutaneously administered immunoglobulin (SCIG) is increasingly used to treat patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs). Octanorm (marketed as cutaquig® in USA and Canada) is a new 16.5% solution of human SCIG, manufactured by a process based on that of the intravenous preparation (IVIG) octagam®. Objectives: To investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of octanorm in a prospective, open-label, single-arm phase 3 study involving adult and pediatric patients with PIDs (NCT01888484; clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01888484). Methods: Patients who were previously treated with IVIG received a total of 64 weekly SCIG infusions, including 12 weekly infusions during the wash-in/wash-out period, followed by 52 weekly infusions during the evaluation period. Results: A total of 61 patients aged 2-73 years received 3,497 infusions of octanorm. The mean dose per patient was 0.175 g/kg/infusion. The mean calculated dose conversion factor from the patients' previous IVIG dose for octanorm was 1.37. No serious bacterial infections developed during the study. The rate of other infections per person-year during the primary observation period was 3.43 (upper 95% CI 4.57). All but one non-bacterial infection were mild or moderate in intensity. IgG trough levels were constant during the course of the study. Eleven patients (18.0%) experienced 14 mild or moderate systemic adverse events (AEs) related to octanorm. The rate of related AEs per infusion was 0.004. In 76.7% of infusions, no infusion site reactions were observed and only two (0.3%) reactions were deemed severe. The incidence of site reactions decreased with successive infusions. Conclusion: The new 16.5% SCIG octanorm was shown to be efficacious in preventing infections in PIDs, and was well tolerated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger H. Kobayashi
- UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Roger H. Kobayashi
| | - Sudhir Gupta
- Division of Basic and Clinical Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Isaac Melamed
- IMMUNOe Research Center, Centennial, CO, United States
| | | | | | - Bruce Ritchie
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Bob Geng
- Divisions of Adult and Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Thomas Prescott Atkinson
- Department of Pediatric Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Syed Rehman
- Allergy and Asthma Center Inc., Toledo, OH, United States
| | | | - Jiří Litzman
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, St Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
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Suez D, Stein M, Gupta S, Hussain I, Melamed I, Paris K, Darter A, Bourgeois C, Fritsch S, Leibl H, McCoy B, Gelmont D, Yel L. Response to the Letter to the Editor Regarding "Assessment of Local Adverse Reactions to Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin (SCIG) in Clinical Trials". J Clin Immunol 2017; 37:739-740. [PMID: 28875256 PMCID: PMC5662656 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-017-0438-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Suez
- Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Clinic PA, Irving, TX, USA
| | - Mark Stein
- Allergy Associates of the Palm Beaches, North Palm Beach, FL, USA
| | - Sudhir Gupta
- Division of Basic and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | | | - Isaac Melamed
- IMMUNOe International Research Centers, Centennial, CO, USA
| | - Kenneth Paris
- LSU Health Sciences Center, Children's Hospital, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Amy Darter
- Oklahoma Institute of Allergy and Asthma Clinical Research, LLC, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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