scholarly journals Invisible burden of COVID-19: enzyme replacement therapy disruptions

Author(s):  
Ayça Burcu Kahraman ◽  
Yılmaz Yıldız ◽  
Kısmet Çıkı ◽  
Halil Tuna Akar ◽  
İzzet Erdal ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Lysosomal storage diseases (LSD) constitute an important group of metabolic diseases, consisting of approximately 60 disorders. In some types of lysosomal diseases, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is administered intravenously in weekly or biweekly doses. Unfortunately, scheduled ERT during COVID-19 was disrupted. We considered the possibility of adverse outcomes caused by the disruption in the treatment of patients with lysosomal storage disorders. Methods During the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a questionnaire that was delivered via Internet to assess how this vulnerable patient group was affected by the pandemic in terms of their access to treatment and their disease-related symptoms. Results The questionnaire was filled out by 75 patients. There were 35 patients whose treatment dose was missed because of COVID-19. The most common reason for skipping treatment was not wanting to go to the hospital for fear of contracting COVID-19. These 35 patients missed a median of four doses of ERT (range: 1–16 dosages). Twenty-one patients (60%) claimed that they were affected physically by not taking ERT (20 mucopolysaccaridoses, 1 Fabry disease), whereas 14 (40%) did not. Conclusions Interruption of ERT during the COVID-19 pandemic may have significant consequences. It may be beneficial to switch to home treatment or reserve dedicated facilities. With proper planning and management, the treatment disruptions of this particular group can be avoided.

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marialaura Marchetti ◽  
Serena Faggiano ◽  
Andrea Mozzarelli

: Mutations in human genes might lead to loss of functional proteins, causing diseases. Among these genetic disorders, a large class is associated with the deficiency in metabolic enzymes, resulting in both an increase in the concentration of substrates and a loss in the metabolites produced by the catalyzed reactions. The identification of therapeutic actions based on small molecules represents a challenge to medicinal chemists because the target is missing. Alternative approaches are biology-based, ranging from gene and stem cell therapy, CRISPR/Cas9 technology, distinct types of RNAs, and enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). This review will focus on the latter approach that since the 1990s has been successfully applied to cure many rare diseases, most of them being lysosomal storage diseases or metabolic diseases. So far, a dozen enzymes have been approved by FDA/EMA for lysosome storage disorders and only a few for metabolic diseases. Enzymes for replacement therapy are mainly produced in mammalian cells and some in plant cells and yeasts and are further processed to obtain active, highly bioavailable, less degradable products. Issues still under investigation for the increase in ERT efficacy are the optimization of enzymes interaction with cell membrane and internalization, the reduction in immunogenicity, and the overcoming of blood-brain barrier limitations when neuronal cells need to be targeted. Overall, ERT has demonstrated its efficacy and safety in the treatment of many genetic rare diseases, both saving newborn lives and improving patients’ life quality, and represents a very successful example of targeted biologics.


2020 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 460-467
Author(s):  
Irem Turgay Yagmur ◽  
Ozlem Unal Uzun ◽  
Aynur Kucukcongar Yavas ◽  
Ilknur Kulhas Celik ◽  
Muge Toyran ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 669
Author(s):  
Paolo Tirelli ◽  
Fiorina Giona ◽  
Maja Di Rocco ◽  
Elena Cassinerio ◽  
Antonio Pisani ◽  
...  

Background:  Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are a heterogeneous group of rare chronic genetic conditions. The standard-of-care treatment for LSDs is hospital-based infusion of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), however, over time this can be stressful and inconvenient. The Italian TuTor program, established in 2011 by Sanofi Genzyme, is a professional nursing service providing home-based ERT to patients with LSDs.Objectives:  The current questionnaire-based study was conducted to investigate the level of patient satisfaction with theTuTor program and to shed light on disease perception.Methods:  Patients were enrolled in the TuTor program from 2011 onwards. The first 100 patients enrolled were interviewed at baseline with follow-up interviews conducted at 6, 12 and 18 months.Results: Overall, 52 patients were female; 46 had Gaucher’s disease, 46 had Fabry disease and 8 had mucopolysaccharidosis type 1. Patients took on average >2 hours to receive hospital-based ERT, plus time associated with the infusion; 2 out of 3 patients needed a caregiver to travel to the hospital. After receiving home-based ERT for 6 months, 37% of patients considered their quality of life ‘greatly improved’ (60% at 18 months). Overall, 99% to 100% of patients rated the home-based nursing service as ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’ and reported that they would recommend the service to other patients with their condition.Conclusions: For patients with LSDs eligible for ERT, a disease-specific home-based nursing service increased their perception of quality of life over a hospital-based service and was advantageous in terms of their time and expenditure.


2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. V. Ponomarev ◽  
K. A. Lukina ◽  
E. P. Sysoeva ◽  
R. B. Chavynchak ◽  
A. A. Solovyeva ◽  
...  

Introduction. Gaucher disease (GD) belongs to the group of lysosomal storage diseases. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is considered to be the current standard in GD treatment. No reduced ERT regimen has thus far been developed. Aim. To develop an optimal reduced ERT regimen for adult patients with type I GD, which is scientifically and economically viable.Materials and methods. The study included 100 adult patients with type I GD who achieved treatment goals following at least two years of the standard ERT regimen. Patients were prescribed a reduced ERT regimen, which consisted in increasing the interval between the infusions of the recombinant enzyme up to 4 weeks, at a dose of 15–20 units/kg of body weight. The efficacy of the reduced ERT regimen was assessed once every 12 months according to main GD parameters. The follow-up period in the study ranged from 12 to 36 months.Results. The patients with type I GD who achieved treatment goals following the standard ERT regimen and were then prescribed a reduced ERT regimen retained a stable therapeutic effect of the initial treatment according to all parameters: no clinically significant differences found in haemoglobin and platelet levels, spleen size and specific infiltration of femur bone marrow.Conclusion. An increase in the intervals between infusions of the recombinant glucocerebrosidase up to 4 weeks for 12, 24 and 36 months did not lead to worsening of the laboratory and instrumental parameters associated with GD. 


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Baik ◽  
Nina Aaron ◽  
Matthew Birnbaum ◽  
Philip Calafati ◽  
Christopher Schoenherr ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document