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Review
. 2016 Jul;9(4):336-43.
doi: 10.1177/1756285616641583. Epub 2016 Apr 6.

Subcutaneous immunoglobulins in the treatment of chronic immune-mediated neuropathies

Verena I Leussink  1 , Hans-Peter Hartung  1 , Bernd C Kieseier  1 , Mark Stettner  2
Affiliations
Review

Subcutaneous immunoglobulins in the treatment of chronic immune-mediated neuropathies

Verena I Leussink et al. Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2016 Jul.

Abstract

Intravenous immunoglobulins represent an established therapy for the treatment of chronic immune-mediated neuropathies, specifically chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathies (CIDPs) as well as multifocal motor neuropathies (MMNs). For the treatment of antibody deficiency syndromes, subcutaneous immunoglobulins (SCIgs) have represented a mainstay for decades. An emerging body of evidence suggests that SCIg might also exhibit clinical efficacy in CIDP and MMN. This article reviews the current evidence for clinical effectiveness, as well as safety of SCIg for the treatment of immune-mediated neuropathies, and addresses remaining open questions in this context. We conclude that despite the need for controlled long-term studies to demonstrate long-term efficacy of SCIg in immune-mediated neuropathies, SCIg may already represent a potential therapeutic alternative for selected patients.

Keywords: CIDP; GBS; IVIg; MMN; SCIg; inflammatory neuropathies; pump-system.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: V. Leussink: Received speaking honoraria from Biogen, Genzyme, Novartis and support for research from Novartis. H. P. Hartung: Has received honoraria for consulting and speaking at symposia from Bayer, Biogen Idec, Genzyme, Merck Serono, Novartis Pharma, Roche and Teva Sanofi-Aventis, with approval by the Rector. B. C. Kieseier: Received honoraria for lecturing, travel expenses for attending meetings, and financial support for research from Bayer Health Care, Biogen, Genzyme/Sanofi Aventis, Grifols, Merck Serono, Mitsubishi Europe, Novartis, Roche, Talecris, and TEVA. Since summer 2015 he is also employee of Biogen. M. Stettner: Received speaking honoraria or travel expense reimbursement for participation in scientific meetings from Biogen Idec, UCB, Genzyme, Novartis Pharma, and Teva.

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