Treatment with Hizentra in patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies: a real-life, non-interventional trial

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough Hizentra is indicated for immunoglobulin replacement therapy in patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies, phase III trials have focused on patients with primary immunodeficiencies. In this 9-month, real-life, prospective, non-interventional, longitudinal, multicenter study of patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies in France, treatment modalities (primary endpoint), efficacy, safety, tolerability, quality of life, and treatment satisfaction were evaluated using descriptive statistics.ResultsStarting in January 2012, 117 patients were enrolled (99 adults, 18 children). Secondary immunodeficiencies were present in 48.7 % of patients. At follow-up, injections were administered every 7 days in 92.2 % of patients. Nine patients (7.8 %) were taking Hizentra every 10–14 days. The median dose of Hizentra administered was 0.1 g/kg/injection. Fifty-six patients were administered doses <0.1 g/kg/injection and 13 patients were administered doses >0.2 g/kg/injection. Mean trough IgG titers were 9.0 ± 3.3 g/L (median 8.3 g/L). The mean yearly rate of infection was 1.2 ± 1.9. Mean scores on the Short Form-36 physical and mental component summaries were 46.3 ± 10.0 and 46.6 ± 9.3, respectively. Scores on the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication ranged from 69.9 ± 19.9 to 88.3 ± 21.2 depending on the domain. Treatment with Hizentra was well tolerated. No single drug-related systemic reaction occurred in more than one patient and few local reactions were reported (n = 5).ConclusionsUnder real-life conditions and in a cohort that included patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies, treatment with Hizentra was effective and well tolerated and patients were generally satisfied with the treatment.