Healthcare Providers

Get Started on VPRIV

In order to help your patients begin treatment with VPRIV, you should work with your patient to complete, sign and submit a Start Form, available for download.

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The Chemical Structure of VPRIV

Glycan

Find out details about the glycan structure and cellular uptake of VPRIV.

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Dose Comparison Study—VPRIV 60 Units/kg and 45 Units/kg

Study 032

Multiple disease measures improved through 12 months of treatment with VPRIV 60 Units/kg.

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Switch-From-Imiglucerase Study

Study 034

Demonstrated that patients can safely transition from imiglucerase to VPRIV.

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Study II: 039

Type 1 Gaucher - Comparison of VPRIV and Imiglucerase

Hemoglobin Concentrations in a Noninferiority Study vs Imiglucerase1

mean difference from imiglucerase in change from baseline

  • A 9-month, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled (imiglucerase) multinational study of VPRIV and imiglucerase in 34 adult and pediatric patients
  • Patients had to have Gaucher-related anemia and either thrombocytopenia or organomegaly. Disease-specific therapy within the 12 months prior to enrollment was not allowed
  • The mean age was 30 years (range 3-73) and 53% were female; the youngest patient to receive VPRIV was aged 4 years
  • Patients were randomized to receive either 60 Units/kg of VPRIV (n=17) or 60 Units/kg of imiglucerase (n=17) EOW
  • The primary objective was to compare the effects of VPRIV and imiglucerase on hemoglobin concentrations in patients with type 1 Gaucher disease
learn the details about dosing and infusion with VPRIV

Reference: 1. VPRIV [package insert]. Lexington, MA: Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc.; 2010.

Indication

  • VPRIV® (velaglucerase alfa for injection) is a hydrolytic lysosomal glucocerebroside-specific enzyme indicated for long-term enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for pediatric and adult patients with type 1 Gaucher disease.

Important Safety Information

  • The most serious adverse reactions in patients treated with VPRIV were hypersensitivity reactions. Appropriate medical support should be available when VPRIV is administered. If a severe reaction occurs, medical standards for emergency treatment are to be followed.
  • Treatment with VPRIV should be used with caution in patients who have exhibited symptoms of hypersensitivity to the active ingredient, drug product excipients, or to other enzyme replacement therapies.
  • Infusion-related reactions were the most commonly observed adverse reactions in patients treated with VPRIV in clinical studies. The most commonly observed symptoms of infusion-related reactions were: headache, dizziness, hypotension, hypertension, nausea, asthenia/fatigue, and pyrexia. Generally the infusion-related reactions were mild and, in treatment-naïve patients, onset occurred mostly during the first 6 months of treatment and tended to occur less frequently with time.
  • Management of infusion-related reactions should be based on severity of the reaction, such as slowing the infusion rate, treatment with medications such as antihistamines, antipyretics and/or corticosteroids, and/or stopping and resuming treatment with increased infusion time.
  • Other commonly observed adverse reactions in ≥10% of ERT-naïve or imiglucerase-switched patients were: headache, dizziness, abdominal pain, nausea, back pain, joint pain, upper respiratory tract infection, activated PTT prolonged, infusion-related reactions, pyrexia, and asthenia/fatigue.
  • All adult adverse reactions to VPRIV are considered relevant to pediatric patients (ages 4 to 17 years). Adverse reactions more common in pediatric patients (>10% difference) included upper respiratory tract infection, rash, aPTT prolonged, and pyrexia. The safety of VPRIV has not been established in pediatric patients younger than 4 years of age.
  • As with all therapeutic proteins, there is a potential for immunogenicity. In clinical studies, 1 of 54 treatment-naïve patients treated with VPRIV (who received a 45 Units/kg dose) developed IgG class antibodies (neutralizing in an in vitro assay). It is unknown if the presence of IgG antibodies to VPRIV is associated with a higher risk of infusion reactions. Patients with an immune response to other enzyme replacement therapies who are switching to VPRIV should continue to be monitored for antibodies.
  • For more information, please see the full prescribing information or call Shire at 1-866-888-0660
  • To report suspected adverse events, please contact Shire Human Genetic Therapies at 1-866-888-0660 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
  • For assistance with medical inquiries about VPRIV, please contact Medical Information at 1-866-888-0660 option 2 or US_ShireHGT_MedicalInformation@shire.com.