Real-World Experiences with Taliglucerase Alfa Home Infusions for Patients with Gaucher Disease: A Global Cohort Study

Abstract

Taliglucerase alfa is an enzyme replacement therapy approved for Gaucher disease. We assessed the duration/compliance/safety of such home infusions in commercial use in four countries where home infusion programs are available. The treatment duration/compliance study included 173 patients (Israel, 58; US, 61; Brazil, 48; Australia, 6) who received ≥1 taliglucerase alfa home infusion through 6/2021. The median age at home therapy initiation was 38 (range, 2–87) years; 58% were females. The median treatment duration (at home) was 2.7 (range, 0.04–9.0) years. The annual compliance rate was stable (≥95%) throughout the study period. A search of the Pfizer global safety database (through 6/2021), identified 19 adverse events (AEs) as related to “definite home use” and 14 to “possible home use” of taliglucerase alfa; 42.4% of these AEs were serious; none were fatal. Twelve serious AEs in five separate case reports were considered treatment related: one case of chest discomfort/pain and hypertension and one case of erythema associated with a toe blister, for which causality could not be excluded; pain in extremity; projectile vomiting and chills, alongside excessive eye blinking; and an infusion-related AE (pruritus). In conclusion, this real-life global study demonstrated that taliglucerase alfa home infusions are safe with high compliance rates.

Keywords

• adverse event
• enzyme replacement therapy
• Gaucher disease
• home infusion
• infusion-related adverse event
• safety