Symptom Management

Symptom management in Fabry disease may include lifestyle modifications, certain prophylactic medications, and for advanced disease, some non-specific medical interventions. Patients with frequent and severe pain may benefit from prophylactic therapy with certain medications, including narcotics,^[1] and pancrelipase or metoclopramide may temporarily ameliorate gastrointestinal symptoms.^[2] Prophylaxis with anticoagulant medication may be important for patients vulnerable to stroke.^[1]

Emotional support and family counseling can be an integral part of patient care. Clinical depression and/or denial are common, as is guilt about passing on the defective gene to children.^[3] Family and individual counseling can be important resources to offer patients with Fabry disease and their families. Contact with other patients and families struggling with similar issues may help ameliorate feelings of isolation, loneliness, and despair.

Several organizations and medical centers offer websites, newsletters, support groups, and information on Fabry disease. See our Resources section for more information.

Indications and Usage Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta) is indicated for use in patients with Fabry disease. Fabrazyme reduces globotriaosylceramide (GL-3) deposition in capillary endothelium of the kidney and certain other cell types. The reduction of GL-3 inclusions suggests that Fabrazyme may ameliorate disease expression; however, the relationship of GL-3 inclusion reduction to specific clinical manifestations of Fabry disease has not been established. Important Safety Information Life-threatening anaphylactic and severe allergic reactions have been observed in patients during Fabrazyme infusions. In clinical trials and postmarketing safety experience, approximately 1% of patients developed anaphylactic or severe allergic reactions during Fabrazyme infusions. Reactions have included localized angioedema (including swelling of the face, mouth, and throat), bronchospasm, hypotension, generalized urticaria, dysphagia, rash, dyspnea, flushing, chest discomfort, pruritus, and nasal congestion. Interventions have included cardiopulmonary resuscitation, oxygen supplementation, IV fluids, hospitalization, and treatment with inhaled beta-adrenergic agonists, antihistamines, epinephrine, and IV corticosteroids. If severe allergic or anaphylactic reactions occur, immediately discontinue administration of Fabrazyme and provide necessary emergency treatment. Because of the potential for severe allergic reactions, appropriate medical support measures should be readily available when Fabrazyme is administered. In patients experiencing infusion reactions, pretreatment with an antipyretic and antihistamine is recommended. Infusion reactions occurred in some patients after receiving pretreatment with antipyretics, antihistamines, and oral steroids. If an infusion reaction occurs, decreasing the infusion rate, temporarily stopping the infusion, and/or administrating additional antipyretics, antihistamines, and/or steroids may ameliorate the symptoms. If severe infusion reactions occur, immediate discontinuation of the administration of Fabrazyme should be considered, and appropriate medical treatment should be initiated. Severe reactions are generally managed with administration of antihistamines, corticosteroids, intravenous fluids, and/or oxygen when clinically indicated. Because of the potential for severe infusion reactions, appropriate medical support measures should be readily available when Fabrazyme is administered. Re-administration of Fabrazyme to patients who have previously experienced severe or serious allergic reactions to Fabrazyme should be done only after careful consideration of the risks and benefits of continued treatment, and only under the direct supervision of qualified personnel and with appropriate medical support measures readily available. The most common adverse reactions reported are infusion reactions, some of which were severe. Infusion reactions occurred in approximately 50-55% of patients during Fabrazyme administration in clinical trials. Serious and/or frequently occurring (≥ 5% incidence) related adverse reactions consisted of one or more of the following: chills, fever, feeling hot or cold, dyspnea, nausea, flushing, headache, vomiting, paresthesia, fatigue, pruritus, pain in extremity, hypertension, chest pain, throat tightness, abdominal pain, dizziness, tachycardia, nasal congestion, diarrhea, edema peripheral, myalgia, back pain, pallor, bradycardia, urticaria, hypotension, face edema, rash, and somnolence. Patients with advanced Fabry disease may have compromised cardiac function, which may predispose them to a higher risk of severe complications from infusion reactions. Patients with compromised cardiac function should be monitored closely if the decision is made to administer Fabrazyme. Other serious adverse events reported in clinical studies included stroke, pain, ataxia, bradycardia, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, decreased cardiac output, vertigo, hypoacousia, and nephrotic syndrome. These adverse events also occur as manifestations of Fabry disease; an alteration in frequency or severity cannot be determined from the small numbers of patients studied. Severe and serious infusion related reactions have been reported in postmarketing experience, some of which were life threatening including anaphylactic shock. In addition to the above adverse reactions, the following have been reported during postmarketing use of Fabrazyme: arthralgia, asthenia, erythema, hyperhidrosis, infusion site reaction, lacrimation increased, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, lymphadenopathy, hypoesthesia, oral hypoesthesia, palpitations, rhinorrhea, oxygen saturation decreased and hypoxia. Adverse reactions (regardless of relationship) resulting in death reported in the postmarketing setting with Fabrazyme treatment included cardiorespiratory arrest, respiratory failure, cardiac failure, sepsis, cerebrovascular accident, myocardial infarction, renal failure, and pneumonia. Some of these reactions were reported in Fabry disease patients with significant underlying disease. The safety and efficacy in patients younger than 8 years of age have not been evaluated. Most patients who develop IgG antibodies do so within the first three months of exposure.  IgG seroconversion in pediatric patients was associated with prolonged half-life of Fabrazyme, a phenomenon rarely observed in adult patients. In clinical trials, a few patients developed IgE or skin test reactivity specific to Fabrazyme. Physicians should consider testing for IgE in patients who experienced suspected allergic reactions and consider the risks and benefits of continued treatment in patients with anti-Fabrazyme IgE antibodies. Fabrazyme is available by prescription only. Side effects should be reported promptly to Genzyme Medical Information at 800-745-4447, option 2. To learn more, please see the full Prescribing Information (PDF) or contact Genzyme at 1-800-745-4447.

^References

1. Desnick RJ, Ioannou YA, Eng CM. α-Galactosidase A deficiency: Fabry disease. In: The Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease. New York: McGraw Hill, 2001;3733-74.

2. Desnick RJ, Brady R, Barranger J, Collins AJ, Germain DP, Goldman M, Grabowski G, Packman S, Wilcox WR. Fabry disease, an under-recognized multisystemic disorder: Expert recommendations for diagnosis, management, and enzyme replacement therapy. Ann Intern Med 2003;138:338-46.

3. Stryker VL, Kreps C. Fabry disease. Am J Nurs 2001;101:39-44.