How is Spinraza administered?

Q: How is Spinraza administered?

Spinraza (nusinersen) is injected using a syringe directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the fluid around the spine, over 1-3 minutes. This type of injection is called an intrathecal bolus injection.

Medically reviewed by Judith Stewart, BPharm. Last updated on Jan 23, 2025.

Official Answer by Drugs.com

Spinraza (nusinersen) is a survival motor neuron-2 (SMN2)-directed antisense oligonucleotide used to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in adults and children.

SMA is a type of motor neuron disease that destroys motor neurons - the muscle-controlling nerve cells. It is caused by a mutation in the SMN1 (survival motor neuron 1) gene, which is responsible for producing the SMN protein that keeps motor neurons healthy and functioning.

Spinraza is administered by injection at a hospital or an outpatient site with the necessary experience.

How does Spinraza come and how is it administered?

Spinraza comes in a single-use vial and is injected using a syringe directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is the fluid around the spine and brain. It is given over 1-3 minutes. This type of injection is called an intrathecal bolus injection.

Spinraza is administered by healthcare professionals who are experienced in performing lumbar punctures.

Spinraza needs to be delivered directly into the central nervous system (CNS) because of the way it works - it's mechanism of action.

How often is Spinraza taken?

Four loading doses of Spinraza are given when treatment is started. The first three loading doses are given at 14 day intervals and the fourth is given 30 days after the third loading dose. A maintenance does of Spinraza is then given once every four months.

References

Spinraza. Intrathecal administration with Spinraza (nusinersen). Available from: https://www.spinraza.com/content/dam/commercial/spinraza/caregiver/en_us/pdf/SPZ-US-0603-Intrathecal-Discussion-Tool.pdf. [Accessed February 2, 2021].
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Spinraza. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2020/209531s010lbl.pdf. [Accessed Febuary 2, 2021].

Zolgensma vs Spinraza: What are the key differences?

Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) and Spinraza (nusinersen sodium) are both treatments for people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). There are a number of key differences between the two treatments, including:

Which patients with SMA they are approved for use in
How often they are administered
The type of treatments they are
How they work
How well they work

Evrysdi vs Spinraza: How do they compare?

Evrysdi (risdiplam) and Spinraza (nusinersen) work in different ways to increase the level of functional SMN (survival of motor neuron) protein in people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). A key difference between the two drugs is that Evrysdi is taken orally, whereas Spinraza needs to be given via intrathecal injection. Continue reading

Why is Zolgensma so expensive?

Zolgensma costs $2.1 million for the one-time-only treatment. The reason Zolgensma is so expensive is because that is the price Novartis has decided it is worth because it “dramatically transforms the lives of families affected by this devastating disease” and the claimed cost of bringing new drugs to market. But this price is not without controversy. Continue reading

How is Spinraza administered?

How does Spinraza come and how is it administered?

How often is Spinraza taken?

Read next

Zolgensma vs Spinraza: What are the key differences?

Evrysdi vs Spinraza: How do they compare?

Why is Zolgensma so expensive?

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