Rapid Infusion Rituximab for Maintenance Therapy: Is It Feasible?

Rituximab is an anti-CD-20 monoclonal antibody used in the management of lymphoproliferative disorders. The use of maintenance rituximab has improved progression free survival and overall survival in follicular lymphomas. Although rapid rituximab infusions have been studied extensively, there is little data on the use of rapid infusions during maintenance therapy for low grade lymphomas. The primary objective of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the incidence of Grade 3 and 4 toxicities with maintenance rapid infusion rituximab according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4 (CTC v. 4). Secondary objectives included evaluating all grade infusion related adverse events and correlation of adverse events with varying schedules of rituximab maintenance therapy. All patients who received rapid infusion rituximab as maintenance therapy for low grade lymphoma between December 2007 and November 2011 were included. Rapid rituximab infusions were administered over 90 minutes. Demographic, laboratory and clinical data were collected. A total of 109 patients received 647 rapid rituximab infusions. Three patients experienced an adverse reaction which resulted in one grade 1 infusion reaction and three grade 3 infusion reactions. No patients required hospitalization. All 3 patients received pharmacological and/or supportive care to relieve symptoms associated with the reaction

Case Report: ASCENIV use in three young children with immune abnormalities and acute respiratory failure secondary to RSV infection

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common etiology of bronchiolitis in young children. While most children clinically improve with care at home, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants aged 12 months or less. Common modalities of treatment for children with immune dysregulation include respiratory support and best supportive care, which may include immunoglobulin therapy. All immunoglobulin therapies adhere to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - established standards for antibodies against measles, polio, and diphtheria, but there are no required standards for problematic respiratory viral pathogens, including RSV and others. ASCENIV is an approved IVIG that is manufactured from blending normal source plasma with plasma from donors that possess high antibody titers against RSV and other respiratory pathogens of concern. ASCENIV was developed, in part, to the unmet need that exists in immunocompromised patients who lack sufficient antibodies against problematic viral pathogens. ASCENIV is not a currently approved treatment for severe RSV and other viral infections. There is a lack of research regarding its potential benefits in the acute treatment period for RSV and in the pediatric population. Therefore, this case series was developed to describe real-world experiences of ASCENIV use in this less well studied clinical scenario. This case series reviews three pediatric patients ≤ 5 years of age with immune dysregulation and who were severely ill with RSV. Despite receiving best supportive care, and standard immunoglobulin therapy for some, the patients’ clinical status continued to decline. All patients received ASCENIV in an intensive care setting. Each patient had ultimately recovered due to the various medical interventions done. This case series demonstrated that ASCENIV (500mg/kg) administration may have contributed to the treatment outcomes of a less well studied age-cohort of patients. In addition, no adverse side effects were observed after ASCENIV administration. Further analysis of the benefits of ASCENIV for the acute and preventative treatment in patients younger than 12 years of age with immune dysregulation should continue to be explored