title: Subcutaneous administration of alemtuzumab in patients with highly active multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Alemtuzumab is an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody with remarkable efficacy in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). In clinical trials and off-label use in MS, alemtuzumab has been administered intravenously (IV). Alemtuzumab is approved for chronic lymphoid leukemia as IV. Oncology guidelines recommend alemtuzumab subcutaneous (SC) over IV. There is no report of alemtuzumab SC in MS. We report two patients with highly active relapsing MS who were treated with SC alemtuzumab, had significant improvement and tolerated SC alemtuzumab well without the typical infusion-associated adverse events. SC alemtuzumab in MS warrants further studies as this may enhance patient convenience and minimize infusion-associated adverse events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA. jsp9007@med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: Jai S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Perumal
authors.forename: Farng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Foo
authors.forename: Perry
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D055104:Infusions, Subcutaneous; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D000074323:Alemtuzumab