IVIG

It truly is a wonder drug. There’s aspirin. That was the first miracle drug. Then statins – the cholesterol drugs – that’s the second one. And then, it’s IVIg - Donald Branch PhD

IVIG
IVIG

image by: Estelle Dube

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The wonder drug you’ve probably never heard of – yet

The first thing you notice when you walk into Dr. Don Branch’s office at 67 College Street in Toronto is how small it seems. And colourful, owing to an impressive collection of memorabilia that suggests a full and perhaps eclectic life: show posters, photos of his family and small items such as those one would get from a student or colleague sharing an inside joke. Copious as they are, the richness-of-life souvenirs are nearly crowded out by shelves and stacks of books and what appear to be research papers, some in folders, most not. The stacks disappear into the shadows of Branch’s sparsely lit room.

It’s almost as mysterious and as awe-inspiring as IVIg, or intravenous immunoglobulin,…

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Resources

 The wonder drug you’ve probably never heard of – yet

Wonder drug it may be, but IVIg is a slippery fish. Even after 60 years, little is known about precisely how it works.

IG Living

Dedicated to bringing comprehensive healthcare information, immune globulin information, community lifestyle and reimbursement news.

Immune Deficiency Foundation

Ig replacement therapy is one of the most important and successful therapies for people with primary immunodeficiencies (PI) that affect antibody production. The therapy is both lifesaving and often lifelong, and it plays a vital role in the lives of many people with PI.

Adverse Effects of Immunoglobulin Therapy

Immunoglobulin has been widely used in a variety of diseases, including primary and secondary immunodeficiency diseases, neuromuscular diseases, and Kawasaki disease. Although a large number of clinical trials have demonstrated that immunoglobulin is effective and well tolerated, various adverse effects have been reported. The majority of these events, such as flushing, headache, malaise, fever, chills, fatigue and lethargy, are transient and mild. However, some rare side effects, including renal impairment, thrombosis, arrhythmia, aseptic meningitis, hemolytic anemia, and transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), are serious.

Drug Shortage Leaves Patients Without Immune-Disorder Treatment

A shortage of immune globulin has forced hospitals to ration treatments. ‘For the patients affected, it’s been very significant’.

StatPearls

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a pooled antibody and a biological agent used in the management of various immunodeficiency states and a plethora of other conditions including autoimmune, infectious, and inflammatory states. The ultimate goal of this therapy is to normalize a compromised immune system

Update on the use of immunoglobulin in human disease: A review of evidence

Immunoglobulin is increasingly recognized as a treatment of a variety of medical conditions, not only for its ability to fight infection as a replacement therapy but also for its antiinflammatory and immunomodulating effects.

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