IVIG IN ALZHEIMERS
How is IVIg treatment given? IVIg is administered by an infusion into a vein, a process that typically takes several hours. It is believed that infusions have to be carried out at least once or twice a month in Alzheimer's patients.
Is IVIg safe? Several hundred thousand persons have received IVIg over the years, and it is generally well-tolerated. There may be added risks to its use in elderly individuals with Alzheimer's, but many older persons have received IVIg without difficulty.
Because it is derived from human plasma, IVIg carries with it a very small risk of communicable diseases such as Hepatitis and HIV. However, in the United States there have been no documented cases of transmission of these diseases by IVIg over the past 10 years.
Other possible risks relating to use of IVIg include kidney failure, stroke, lung problems, heart failure, allergic reactions and other problems. The likelihood of these complications occurring can be reduced by screening out persons who have known risk factors and administering the IVIg in modified forms.
Is IVIg costly? IVIg One month of treatment typically costs $5000-$10,000---- .
How effective is IVIg in Alzheimer's? So far, only two clinical studies have been carried out examining the effects of IVIg in Alzheimer's disease at a mild to moderate stage of the illness. Collectively, a total of 13 patients were treated in these two studies, which is too small a number to establish whether or not the treatment works. IVIg was well-tolerated by the AD patients treated and none were noted to decline in their thinking abilities over 6 months of treatment. A majority of the patients improved on simple measures of thinking ability.
Many more persons with Alzheimer's will need to be treated in blinded studies that incorporate placebo controls before the usefulness of IVIg can be determined.
There are different "brands" of IVIg. Are they all the same? The various manufacturers of IVIg use different preparation processes, which could affect the usefulness of their product for treating Alzheimer's. The various brands of IVIg have not yet been compared in actual Alzheimer clinical trials, so it is not known whether they are all equivalent. Products made by Baxter Healthcare and Octapharm have been tested and both yielded positive effects.
How long will IVIg need to be given if it proves effective in treating Alzheimer's? It is not known how long treatment will need to be continued at this time.
Can my doctor prescribe IVIg for Alzheimer's? In theory, since IVIg is commercially available, it can be prescribed by a licensed physician. However, since the optimal dosing, preparation and patient for this treatment have yet to be determined, it is--not recommended that physicians use IVIg for this purpose at this time except in experimentally controlled clinical studies (trials). Since it is not approved to treat Alzheimer's disease, Medicare and third-party payers may choose not to pay for this treatment.
