Surveys Reveal High Frequency of Prodromal Symptoms Prior to Acute Hereditary Angioedema Attacks
Warning signs may indicate need for on-demand treatment to achieve better outcomes
NEW ORLEANS, March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Patients with hereditary
angioedema (HAE) experience prodromal or early warning symptoms
before nearly three-quarters of their HAE attacks, according to
survey findings presented today at the 2010 American Academy of
Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting. According
to researchers, this high frequency suggests that prodromal
symptoms may reliably indicate when to initiate treatment to help
prevent an acute HAE attack.
To identify the prodromal symptoms patients experienced before
an HAE attack, two separate surveys were conducted. A prospective
survey, administered to patients enrolled in an open-label study of
human pasteurized C1 esterase inhibitor concentrate, surveyed
patients about their prodromal symptoms at the time they were
seeking treatment for an HAE attack. A retrospective survey focused
on questions related to prodromal symptoms prior to the patient's
last HAE attack.
According to survey findings, patients experienced prodromal
symptoms before 70.5 percent of the 305 reported HAE attacks. The
most commonly reported prodromal symptoms were fatigue (45%),
gastrointestinal complaints (41%), muscle aches or flu-like
symptoms (26%), rash (21%) and numbness or tingling (10%).
"To date there has been limited published data regarding the
importance of identifying prodromal symptoms of an HAE attack,"
said Timothy J. Craig, D.O., Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
at Penn State University in Hershey, PA., and one of the study's
investigators. "Our findings suggest that the onset of these
warning signs may be the time to initiate on-demand treatment in
order to prevent an acute attack of HAE."
HAE is a genetic disorder affecting approximately 6,000 to
10,000 Americans and is caused by a deficiency of C1-INH, which is
inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Patients who have
abdominal attacks can experience episodes of severe pain, diarrhea,
nausea, and vomiting caused by swelling of the intestinal wall.
Attacks that involve the face and larynx can result in airway
closure, asphyxiation, and, if untreated, death. Diagnosis of HAE
requires a blood test to confirm low or abnormal levels of
C1-INH.
About CSL Behring
CSL Behring is a leader in the plasma protein therapeutics
industry. Committed to saving lives and improving the quality of
life for people with rare and serious diseases, the company
manufacturers and markets a range of plasma-derived and recombinant
therapies worldwide. CSL Behring therapies are indicated for the
treatment of coagulation disorders including hemophilia and von
Willebrand disease, primary immune deficiencies and inherited
respiratory disease. The company's products are also used in
cardiac surgery, organ transplantation, burn treatment and to
prevent hemolytic diseases in newborns. CSL Behring operates one of
the world's largest plasma collection networks, CSL Plasma. CSL
Behring is a subsidiary of CSL Limited , a biopharmaceutical
company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. For more
information, visit www.cslbehring.com.
Contact: Sheila A. Burke, Director, Communications & Public Relations Worldwide Commercial Operations CSL Behring C: 484-919-2618 O: 610-878-4209 Sheila.Burke@cslbehring.com
Source: CSL Behring
CONTACT: Sheila A. Burke, Director, Communications & Public
Relations,
Worldwide Commercial Operations, CSL Behring, C: +1-484-919-2618,
O:
+1-610-878-4209, Sheila.Burke@cslbehring.com
Web Site: http://www.cslbehring.com/
Posted: March 2010
