Octapharma makes a strong impression at the 2024 AAN Annual Meeting in Denver

Lachen, Switzerland
06/05/2024
Press release

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting, held from April 13-18, 2024, in Denver, Colorado, marked a significant event in the world of neurology. As the largest gathering of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, the AAN Annual Meeting is renowned for offering top-tier education, showcasing the latest scientific discoveries, and providing ample opportunities for networking with colleagues from around the world.

Octapharma makes its mark

This year, Octapharma made its first appearance at the AAN Annual Meeting with a clear mission. “As a newcomer to the event, we aimed to reach out to general neurologists who may be less familiar with our products and to address the unmet educational needs concerning the use of IgG in neuromuscular autoimmune diseases,” explains Olaf Walter, Board Member at Octapharma.

Furthermore, Octapharma sought to strengthen our position and commitment in the field by sharing high-value efficacy and safety data from our studies.

Highlighting Octapharma's presence

Octapharma's presence at the AAN Annual Meeting was multifaceted, featuring:

  • Booth Exhibition: The Octapharma booth showcased our IVIg brands, octagam® and panzyga®. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of these products in treating chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and dermatomyositis.

  • Industry Therapeutic Update Symposium: Octapharma hosted a dinner symposium that attracted over 120 participants. Renowned speakers presented the different modes of action of IVIg, as well as efficacy and safety data of IVIg in neurologic conditions, highlighting insights from the ProCID and ProDERM studies. The event culminated in a lively Q&A session, fostering engaging discussions among attendees.

  • Scientific Contribution: A poster titled “Evaluation of Autoantibody Status Effect on Dermatomyositis Patients' Response to IVIG Treatment: Post‐hoc Analysis of the ProDERM Trial” was presented, contributing valuable research to the conference.

Accessing Octapharma's insights

The slides presented at the symposium are now available on Science Hub. Additionally, a recording of the session will soon be accessible on the same platform, offering a chance to delve deeper into Octapharma's insights.

“Octapharma's debut at the AAN Annual Meeting was undeniably successful, achieving its goals of educating attendees, reinforcing its commitment to the field and establishing a strong presence among neurology professionals,” says Huub Kreuwel, VP Scientific and Medical Affairs, USA. “With this impactful participation, Octapharma has set a promising trajectory for its continued growth and innovation in the neurology sector.”

About the ProDERM study

The ProDERM study (NCT02728752) was an international, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial that investigated the efficacy, safety and tolerability of octagam® 10% in adults with dermatomyositis. In the initial 16-week placebo-controlled period, 95 patients from 36 sites in 10 countries were randomized to receive either octagam® 10% (2.0 g/kg) or placebo every four weeks. This was followed by an open-label extension period during which all patients received octagam® 10% for a further 24 weeks (excluding patients who had shown clinical worsening while receiving octagam® 10% in the first period). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who responded to treatment at Week 16.

About octagam® 10%

Octagam® 10% [Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)] is an immune globulin intravenous (human) liquid preparation indicated for the treatment of:

  • Chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in adults

  • Dermatomyositis (DM) in adults

WARNINGS

THROMBOSIS, RENAL DYSFUNCTION AND ACUTE RENAL FAILURE

Thrombosis may occur with immune globulin intravenous (IGIV) products, including octagam® 10%. Risk factors may include: advanced age, prolonged immobilization, hypercoagulable conditions, history of venous or arterial thrombosis, use of estrogens, indwelling vascular catheters, hyperviscosity, and cardiovascular risk factors. Renal dysfunction, acute renal failure, osmotic nephropathy, and death may occur with the administration of immune globulin intravenous (Human) (IGIV) products in predisposed patients. Renal dysfunction and acute renal failure occur more commonly in patients receiving IGIV products containing sucrose. octagam® 10% does not contain sucrose.

For patients at risk of thrombosis, renal dysfunction or renal failure, administer octagam® 10% at the minimum infusion rate practicable. Ensure adequate hydration in patients before administration. Monitor for signs and symptoms of thrombosis and assess blood viscosity in patients at risk for hyperviscosity.

About CIDP

CIDP is an immune mediated neuropathy characterised by progressive weakness and impaired sensory function in the limbs. In patients with CIDP, only 20-30% are cured while the rest require long term treatment. Many suffer permanent disability. In addition to IVIg, other front-line therapy options include corticosteroids and plasma exchange.

About the ProCID study

The ProCID study (NCT02638207) was a prospective, double-blind, randomized, parallel group, multi-center phase III study which investigated the efficacy and safety of Panzyga® in patients with CIDP at the standard maintenance dose (1.0 g/kg) and at a lower (0.5 g/kg) and a higher (2.0 g/kg) maintenance dose every 3 weeks for up to 24 weeks. The study was conducted across 25 sites and a total of 142 patients were enrolled and treated with Panzyga®.

About panzyga®

Panzyga® is a 10% human normal immunoglobulin solution ready for intravenous administration. The manufacturing process achieves a significant viral reduction through a combination of three dedicated manufacturing process steps: solvent/detergent treatment, ion-exchange chromatography and nanofiltration (20 nm) and thus complies with the latest international consensus on best practices for viral safety. panzyga® is approved for use in treatment of primary immunodeficiency and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in several countries.

About Octapharma

Headquartered in Lachen, Switzerland, Octapharma is one of the largest human protein manufacturers in the world, developing and producing human proteins from human plasma and human cell lines.

Octapharma employs nearly 12,000 employees worldwide to support the treatment of patients in 118 countries with products across three therapeutic areas: Immunotherapy, Hematology and Critical Care.

Octapharma has seven R&D sites and five state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Austria, France, Germany and Sweden, and operates more than 195 plasma donation centers across Europe and the US. Octapharma has 40 years of experience in patient care.

Octapharma press releases are specifically for health specialist/medical media and are not for consumer press.  

Keywords

Immunology

Events

IVIG