Higher SCIG Dosing Results in Lower Infection Rate and Fewer Missed School/Work Days

Treatment with a higher dose of subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) correlates with reduced risk of infection and fewer missed school or work days in patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI), according to findings from separate U.S. and European trials of CSL Behring’s Hizentra 20% SCIG product.

In an overall study population comprising 84 PI patients, 46 received a weekly dose of 120.0 mg/kg body weight, while 38 others received a weekly dose of 208.2 mg/kg body weight (all mean of medians) over either 28 or 54 weeks. While both studies documented clear evidence of effectiveness of SCIG with zero acute serious bacterial infections, patients on the higher of the two doses had a lower annualized infection rate (2.76 vs. 5.18 infections/patient/year) and fewer missed days from school or work (2.06 vs. 8.0 days/patient/year).

The blood IgG nadir following a dose increased by 23.8 percent in patients assigned to the higher SCIG dose, compared with just 8.6 percent in those on the lower dose of SCIG. Local reactions to infusion and treatment-related adverse events were more commonly reported with the higher dose of SCIG, but those reactions were primarily mild to moderate in severity. “These data suggest that the higher dose of Hizentra provides greater protection from infection and its consequences in patients with primary immunodeficiencies,” the study’s lead author concluded.