Learning the strength of vulnerability – one step at a time

IVIg provides antibodies from plasma donors that modulate abnormal immune responses, reducing inflammation and protecting nerve function. For people with CIDP, it can mean the difference between paralysis and independence.

In beautiful northern Michigan, USA, Mark was living his dream. Working with his wife Patti, he proudly built up the Silver Leaf Vineyard and Winery from scratch. Producing 500 gallons of Pinot Noir in their very first vintage, Mark designed every label and even built the tasting room by hand. For Mark it was a labour of love - every detail mattered, every drop told a story.

But right out of the blue, life dealt Mark a cruel blow.

Following knee replacement surgery in 2000, Mark began losing the feeling in his legs. It didn’t seem like much at first, but the weakness soon spread, and within months he was paralysed from the neck down. “I was scared to death,” he remembers. “I didn’t know what to do.”

A rare and frightening diagnosis

Doctors ran test after test before eventually diagnosing chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, or CIDP.

Like most of us, Mark had never heard of it. CIDP is the most common - albeit still rare - chronic autoimmune disorder of the peripheral nervous system. Roughly up to 10 in every 100,000 people live with it.¹ The condition occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath, the protective covering of peripheral nerves. Without this insulation nerve signals slow down or stop altogether - leading to progressive weakness, loss of reflexes, pain, and in severe cases - paralysis.²

“What’s fortunate,” Patti says, “is that Mark had a doctor who could pinpoint it right away.”

Research shows that diagnostic delays often stretch from 12 to 18 months, and some patients go years without proper treatment.³

“Octapharma’s focus on neuroimmune disease reflects the scale of unmet medical need and the lack of awareness that continues to delay care for too many patients,” says Christoph Wissmann, Global Senior Vice President IBU Immunotherapy. “Addressing neuroimmune disease is not just a medical necessity; it is a global responsibility. By building awareness and driving innovation, we can shorten the diagnostic journey, improve outcomes, and expand accessibility worldwide - ensuring that more patients receive the therapies they need, when they need them.”

For Mark, his early diagnosis and timely access to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) meant the difference between permanent disability and a chance to rebuild his life.

CIDP symptoms²

More time to live

For me, IVIg is actually a lifeline to the future,” says Mark. IVIg provides antibodies from plasma donors that modulate abnormal immune responses, reducing inflammation and protecting nerve function. For people with CIDP, it can mean the difference between paralysis and independence.

At first, each of Mark’s IVIg sessions lasted more than four hours, leaving him exhausted. With his previous IVIg, Mark had to take a premedication to tolerate it better. The drowsiness caused by the premedication effectively ruined his entire day. Then came a change: his treatment switched to Octapharma's intravenous human normal immunoglobulin. Infusion times dropped to around two hours, and for the first time in years he felt more energetic.

Free from both the long infusions and the need for premedication, he no longer lost his entire day to treatment. For Mark, this meant getting his day back, and those extra hours have allowed him more time to create, more time with Patti, and more time to live. In fact, with IVIg, Mark says he actually feels better: “With this treatment, I have more life in me.”

For patients like Mark, accessibility isn’t only about whether a therapy or treatment is available. It’s also about whether it’s good enough to enhance the patient’s quality of life. Furthermore, it’s only when the value proposition of our product is appreciated by the entire chain of providers and payers that access becomes possible.

“I was fortunate to visit our manufacturing facilities in Europe last year. I got to witness firsthand the level of innovation and sophistication involved in its manufacturing. But to see those innovations result in tangible benefits for patients like Mark takes that appreciation to a whole new level”, says Vivek Kaisare, Senior Director, US Immunology Marketing.

As Mark learned to walk again, Patti stood by his side

Mark’s road to recovery was not straightforward. He had to literally relearn how to walk. His car sat untouched in the garage for a year - a symbol of freedom just out of his reach. “That really bothered me,” he admits. “I wanted to drive. I wanted that independence back.”

For Patti, the burden was emotional rather than physical. “It was hard for me just watching him and knowing what he was going through,” she says. Still, she stood beside him at every therapy session, celebrating his progress step by step.

Accepting help, gaining friends, regaining independence

CIDP reshaped Mark’s life in ways he never anticipated. Once fiercely independent, he was forced to slow down and accept help – a shift that taught him the strength of vulnerability. “When I opened myself to being vulnerable, I gained more friends, and my relationship with Patti grew stronger,” he reflects.

Creativity became his anchor: Patti gave him an easel, and painting with acrylics gave him a new outlet. That spark of expression expanded into digital design, with which he now creates graphics for a local church. “I get so many compliments,” he says with a smile, finding pride in this new rhythm of life. Yet Mark’s ambitions remain as bold as when he once built a vineyard from scratch. “I want to walk totally unassisted,” he says. “No cane. No wheelchair. I want my life back.”

Thanks to his ongoing therapy and Patti’s unwavering support, that vision feels within reach. Mark remains positive - he travels a lot, stays active in the local community, and socialises frequently. He is now driving again - after trading his manual for an automatic - and he and Patti travel together, reclaiming pieces of the life they once feared had gone forever.

But Mark’s story is also part of a bigger picture: each infusion he receives reflects the generosity of plasma donors and Octapharma’s commitment to innovation and accessibility. It gives meaning to every effort made by employees in our manufacturing facilities. By developing Ig products with better profiles, we remain competitive in the market and more importantly, allow more patients to experience the full benefits of IVIg treatment.

For Mark, IVIg therapy has been life-saving and life giving.

Octapharma’s commitment to CIDP patients

Octapharma is dedicated to advancing care for people living with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). In 2022, the company published results from the ProCID study - a randomised clinical trial that compared three intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) dosing regimens. The study confirmed the effectiveness, safety, and flexibility of IVIg in CIDP - showing benefits for patients in terms of strength, function, and independence.

“IVIg remains a cornerstone in the management of CIDP, offering rapid and sustained improvement in quality of life. The ProCID study highlights its role in helping patients live more independently and flexibly by providing the option of two different maintenance dosages as approved by the FDA,” says Christoph Wissmann, Global Senior Vice President IBU Immunotherapy.

Looking ahead, Octapharma is preparing for a new clinical trial in CIDP patients, expected to begin in 2026.

References

^{1. Caballero-Ávila, M., Martin-Aguilar, L., Collet-Vidiella, R., Querol, L., & Pascual-Goñi, E. (2025). A pathophysiological and mechanistic review of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy therapy. Frontiers in Immunology, 16 Accessed September 23, 2025. Accessible at: Frontiers | A pathophysiological and mechanistic review of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy therapy}

^{2. CIDP (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy). Accessed September 23, 2025. Accessible at: CIDP}

^{3. Insights into refractory chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: a comprehensive real-world study. Accessed September 23, 2025. Accessible at: Frontiers | Insights into refractory chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: a comprehensive real-world study.}