Enzyme replacement therapy in infants and very young children with Gaucher disease using velaglucerase alfa: a single-center experience

TL;DR

This study shows that enzyme replacement therapy with velaglucerase alfa is safe and effective in very young children with Gaucher disease, leading to clinical improvements.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the early treatment outcomes of Gaucher disease in infants and young children using velaglucerase alfa.

Findings

Velaglucerase alfa improved hematological values, organ sizes, and growth parameters in young Gaucher disease patients.

Glucosylsphingosine levels significantly decreased within six months of starting therapy.

No drug-related adverse events or typical bone manifestations were observed during treatment.

Abstract

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with velaglucerase alfa, and offer insights into the clinical course of patients with Gaucher disease (GD) that were diagnosed and treated early in life.

A phase IV, observational, retrospective and prospective study (NCT04721366) enrolled children with GD who initiated velaglucerase alfa under 4 years of age. Of twelve patients screened, 11 were enrolled (six boys, five girls; two retrospectively); four were identified through newborn screening (NBS).

Mean age of diagnosis was 14 months (range, 2 weeks–38 months) and most patients presented with splenomegaly. Patient genotypes included glucosylceramidase beta 1 gene variants R163X, L444P, R463C, N462K, D409H, 55-bp deletion, and other recombinant alleles. Velaglucerase alfa (60–80 U/kg) was initiated at age ≤3 months (n = 4), >3–≤6 months (n = 2), >6–≤12 months (n = 1), >12–≤18 months (n = 2), and >36–≤48 months (n = 2), administered weekly/every other week, mostly in home settings. Most patients were treated for ≥12 months (range, 2–57 months). Hematological values, organ sizes, and growth parameters improved and/or remained stable for all patients; no typical GD-related bone manifestations were observed. Glucosylsphingosine levels decreased from 90–874 ng/mL to 4–26 ng/mL within 6 months of starting ERT. No drug-related adverse events were recorded.

These preliminary data suggest that velaglucerase alfa is well-tolerated and associated with improvements in clinical parameters in very young children with GD types 1 and 3, offering insights into the early presentation and course of GD in infancy and early childhood.

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