Background: Subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) therapy is an alternative to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy.
Methods: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of the SCIG Vivaglobin(formerly known as Beriglobin SC) under real-life conditions in a post-marketing observational study in 82 patients with primary or secondary antibody deficiencies. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was evaluated in a subset of 30 patients previously treated with IVIG (including 11 children <14 years) using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) for patients > or = 14 years of age (adults) and the Child Health Questionnaire - Parental Form 50 (CHQ-PF50) for children <14 years of age. Treatment preferences were assessed in adults.
Results: The mean serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) trough level during SCIG treatment (7.5 g/L) was higher than during previous IVIG treatment (6.6 g/L; p<0.01). The investigators assessed the efficacy of SCIG therapy as "excellent" in 89% of patients. No systemic adverse drug reactions were observed. Improvements by > or = 5 points were observed in 5 of 8 SF-36 subscales and in 6 of 12 CHQ-PF50 subscales. Statistically significant improvements (p< or =0.05) were observed for the SF-36 subscales of bodily pain, general health perceptions, and vitality (adults), and for the CHQ-PF50 subscales of general health perceptions, parental impact - time, parental impact - emotional, and family activities (children). Patients preferred SCIG over IVIG therapy (92%) and home therapy over therapy at the clinic/physician (83%).
Conclusion: This study confirms that therapy with Vivaglobin at home is effective, safe, well tolerated, and improves quality of life in patients with antibody deficiency.