Preference for Inebilizumab Home Infusion Among People with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder
Gerome Vallejos1, Gabriela Romanow1, Michael Levy1
1Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Objective:

To determine whether people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) prefer to receive inebilizumab (Uplizna) infusions at home versus in an infusion center or hospital, and to assess how that choice affects their quality of life.

Background:

 Recently, inebilizumab was approved for treating NMOSD and was deemed safe for at-home use. However, there is no data on preferences for home infusion and its impact on patient quality of life.

Design/Methods:

This was an observational study on AQP4 + NMOSD patients. Participants completed a preference survey and the short-form quality of life (SF-36) questionnaire at baseline, and at one week after the first and second home infusions. Descriptive statistics for the baseline characteristics were calculated and linear regression analyses were conducted to identify whether the first or second home infusion was associated with significant improvements or declines in the SF-36 subdomains.

Results:

Nine patients met the inclusion criteria, with an average age of 60 ± 12 years (8 females, 1 male). Post home-infusion data showed that 8 out of 9 patients preferred home, felt "very safe"  and that it was "much more convenient". Lastly, all 9 participants strongly preferred future infusions to be at home. Although no significant difference was noted, two SF-36 subdomains are highlighted. Physical functioning demonstrated a slight improvement, with a change of 7.7 (95% CI: -21.9 to 37.5, p = 0.59) following the first home infusion and 3.3 (95% CI: -26.4 to 33.0, p = 0.82) after the second. Also, social functioning showed slight improvement, reflecting a change of 4.2 (95% CI: -26.5 to 34.9, p = 0.78) after the first home infusion and 0 (95% CI: -30.7 to 30.6, p = 1.00) after the second.

Conclusions:

Results suggest that inebilizumab home infusion may be a feasible and preferred option among NMOSD patients, potentially improving their quality of life.

10.1212/WNL.0000000000208932
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