Post-treatment care is critically important after your patient receives RETHYMIC1
Immune reconstitution sufficient to protect against infection is unlikely to develop prior to 6 to 12 months after treatment with RETHYMIC. For some patients, it may take up to 2 years.1
After treatment with RETHYMIC, patients will return to the care of the referring healthcare provider and should be monitored regularly for autologous graft versus host disease and autoimmune disorders. Tests for monitoring autoimmune disorders will include/measure1-3:
- Complete blood count with differential
- Liver enzymes
- Serum creatinine levels
- Urinalysis
- Thyroid function
Once T cells reach certain levels, additional testing can be done to determine if patients can discontinue the following3:
- Immunosuppressants
- Immunoglobulin (IgG) replacement therapy
- Antibiotics
- Antifungals
Inactivated and live vaccines should not be administered until requirements outlined in the RETHYMIC Prescribing Information have been met.1
Careful monitoring and isolation are required to ensure your patient avoids infections after treatment with RETHYMIC. Your patient should also be monitored for other complications, like graft versus host disease and autoimmune disorders. Consider how best to work with the care teams and caregivers of your patients to determine what measures can be lifted and when.1
For additional guidance, please see below.
Immunosuppressants and IgG replacement therapy
Discontinuing immunosuppressants and IgG replacement therapy
Patients can be weaned off immunosuppressants when at least 10% of CD3+ T cells are naive in phenotype.1
- Patients should be maintained on IgG replacement therapy until all of the following criteria are met1:
- No longer taking immunosuppressants
- At least 9 months post-treatment
- Phytohemagglutinin response within normal limits
- Normal serum immunoglobulin A is desired but not required
Two months after stopping IgG replacement therapy, the IgG trough level should be checked. If the trough level is in the normal range for age, the patients can remain off therapy. If it is lower than the normal range for age, therapy should be restarted and continued for a year before being retested.1
Prophylaxis for Pneumocystis jirovecii
Discontinuing prophylaxis for Pneumocystis jirovecii
Patients should be maintained on Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia prophylaxis until all of the following criteria are met1:
- No longer taking immunosuppressants
- At least 9 months post-treatment
- Phytohemagglutinin response within normal limits
- CD4+ T cell count is >200 cells/mm3
Live and inactivated vaccines
Administering vaccines
Inactivated vaccines may be administered to patients who have received RETHYMIC when all of the following criteria have been met1:
- No longer taking immunosuppressants
- IgG replacement therapy has been discontinued
- Total CD4+ T cell count is >200 cells/mm3 and there are more CD4+ T cells than CD8+ T cells
Live virus vaccines should not be administered until the criteria for inactivated vaccines have been met and the patient has received vaccinations with inactivated agents (eg, tetanus toxoid).1
It is recommended that no more than 2 inactivated vaccines be given per month. With the exception of the inactivated influenza vaccine, no vaccines should be given within 6 months after the patient receives a measles-containing vaccine or within 2 months of receiving the varicella vaccine. Consider verifying response to vaccination with appropriate testing, in particular varicella and measles.1
Isolation
Relaxing strict isolation
As patients' immunities build and reach thresholds for fighting off infections, consider how best to work with the care teams and caregivers of your patients to determine what measures can be lifted and when.1
The efficacy and safety of RETHYMIC were studied across 10 clinical trials.1
Find useful information about congenital athymia and RETHYMIC for you and your patients’ caregivers.
Enzyvant CONNECT provides support and resources for patients with congenital athymia and their caregivers.