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Augmentation Therapy is a general term for replacing the missing alpha1 antitrypsin in the body of lung- or panniculitis- affected Alphas.
Currently all the alpha1 antitrypsin used is extracted from donated blood plasma. Large amounts of plasma are need to produce sufficient antitrypsin to be used therapeutically. For this reason the treatment is very expensive.
Attempts have been made to produce alpha1 antitrypsin in other ways but to date these have not been successful.
The method of introducing the antitrypsin into the body is by intravenous infusion. Only 10% to 15% of the drug reaches the lower repiratory tract where it protects the alveoli in the same way as naturally produced alpha1 antitrypsin. Clinical trials are currently underway to test the effectiveness of inhaled antitrypsin. This procedure is simpler than an infusion and possibly more effective (25% to 45% reaches the repiratory tract).
In the USA and most countries in Europe where augmentation therapy is available the major form of replacement alpha1 antitrypsin is called Prolastin and it is manufactured by Talecris.
One of the main aims of Alpha1 Awareness UK is to urge our politicians and decision makers in NICE to make Prolastin available through the National Health Service.
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