Therapies

Octapharma’s IVIG indications in Europe and in other countries include:

Primary Immunodeficiency (PID)

defined as a group of heterogeneous disorders caused by abnormalities of the immune system. The World Health Organization recognizes more than 150 primary immunodeficiency diseases. Some are relatively common, others are quite rare. Some affect a single cell within the immune system; others may affect one or more components of the system1. 

 

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) octagam and octagam 10% or subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) such as gammanorm help to provide antibodies to the PID patient and protect them from infections that may be life threatening.

 

Myeloma

is a cancer that begins in plasma cells, characterized by a proliferation of malignant plasma cells and a subsequent overabundance of monoclonal paraprotein.

 

Chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL) with severe secondary hypogammaglobulinaemia

a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow caused by a slow increase in the number of white blood cells called B lymphocytes, or B cells, in the bone marrow. 

Octagam and octagam 10% help to provide antibodies to the patient with Myeloma or CLL to reduce the number of infections.

 

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)

an autoimmune disease characterized by transient or persistent decreases in platelet count and increased risk of bleeding. 

Octagam and octagam 10% help to increase the platelet counts to a normal level for the ITP patient to reduce the risk of bleeding.

 

Kawasaki disease

an autoimmune disease resulting in several immunological abnormalities, such as enhanced production of antibodies against the neutrophil cytoplasm as well as immune complexes.

octagam and octagam 10% stops the inflammatory reaction to avoid severe damage to organs.

 

Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS)

an autoimmune disease of the peripheral nerve system (autoimmune neuropathy).

Octagam and octagam 10% provides antibodies to protect the peripheral nerve system against further damage and aiding recovery in GBS.

 

Children with congenital AIDS and recurrent infections

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Diseases under clinical trial include:

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP)

an autoimmune disease which targets the myelin sheaths of the peripheral nerves (chronic inflammatory neuropathy).

IVIG treatment has been shown to be effective in inactivating auto-antibodies causing the chronic neuropathy inflammation.

Alzheimer Disease

a neurodegenerative disorder leading to dementia and irreversible loss of neurons

IVIG treatment in recent studies has been shown to be effective in improving cognitive functions of AD patients.