National Immunoglobulin Replacement Expert Committee Recommendations

Abstract

The use of immunoglobulin therapy has grown steadily over the past 3 decades, mainly due to the increased awareness and expansion of indications. This limited resource is now shared between patients with immunodeficiency disorders who need it as replacement therapy, and individuals who suffer a variety of autoimmune or inflammatory disorders. While alternative therapies exist for the latter diseases, immunodeficient patients are dependent upon this treatment for life. Due to the long-term cost burden of this treatment on healthcare systems, healthcare providers have attempted to moderate its use but are frequently seeking evidence from experts in the field. This raised the critical need for recommendations from experts. To this end, a group a Canadian immunologists representing all regions of the country have formed a panel, the National Immunoglobulin replacement Expert Committee (NIGEC), and formulated a set of unanimously agreed upon recommendations for the use of immunoglobulin replacement in primary ...