January 14, 2009
IVIG: Intravenous Immunoglobulin, or IVIG, is a pooled blood product, meaning each dose is made up of particles from hundreds of blood donors. Antibodies are extracted from the plasma of the blood and then filtered thoroughly before being pooled and then concentrated. All viruses are deactivated and filtered out, making the final product very safe. No one knows for certain how IVIG works, but it's thought to regulate antibody response and production while also limiting inflammation in the body. Eventually, the recipient's body clears or neutralizes the antibodies causing the effects of the drug to wear off. This takes about four to six weeks depending on the patient. Once the effects have worn off, another infusion is needed.
IVIG is approved by the FDA for the following uses:
Allogeneic bone marrow transplant Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Pediatric HIV
Primary immunodeficiencies
Kawasaki disease
Alzheimer's disease
Kidney transplant (with a high antibody recipient or with an ABO incompatible donor)
Common variable immune deficiency
SCARCITY SCARES: IVIG therapy can mean the difference between immobility and an unrestrained lifestyle for some neuropathy patients; but because so many donors are used to make a single dose and because of the high price tag on the drug, there are some concerns about extended availability. "We've gone through periods of times where, because the manufacturer has had to cut back on production, that it's been almost impossible to get," Alan Berger, M.D., a professor of neurology at the University of Florida School of Medicine in Jacksonville, Fla., told Ivanhoe. "During those times when production has faltered, there's been a real difficulty in obtaining the immunoglobulin."
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Shands Jacksonville Neuroscience Institute
(904) 244-3960
http://jax.shands.org/hs/neuroscience
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