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IVIG Success Rates: What They Mean and How They Vary

IVIG success rates can range from 60% to 80%, depending on the condition being treated, individual response, and the specific IVIG brand.  

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Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) success rates mean the percentage of people who achieve desired clinical outcomes after starting or completing a course of IVIG therapy. Because IVIG is used to treat several autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, the success rates can vary. 

IVIG Success Rates in Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a bleeding disorder that’s caused by your immune system destroying the cells that help form a blood clot — the platelets. As a result, people with ITP have trouble stopping bleeding. 

IVIG is an effective treatment for ITP in both children and adults, especially when a rapid increase in platelet count is crucial, such as before surgery. 

According to a 2021 study in the “British Journal of Haematology,” 80% of users respond to a single 1 g/kg dose [1]. Other recent studies show a success rate of 60% in both children and adults [2,3].

How IVIG works in ITP isn’t fully understood. However, health experts think it may help increase platelet count by blocking proteins (antibodies) that destroy platelets. 

IVIG Success Rates in Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki disease commonly affects children 5 years or younger. Affected children have inflamed blood vessels, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. 

IVIG reduces inflammation in the blood vessels and can lower the risk of associated heart problems. A single IVIG infusion may improve symptoms in some children. 

Nearly 25% of children who don’t receive treatment develop a bulge in the arteries that supply the heart, which can be fatal in children younger than 12 months. Luckily, timely IVIG therapy can reduce the risk of this complication from 25% to 5% [4].

Resistance rates (the percentage of children who don’t respond to IVIG infusion) can vary among brands [5].

IVIG Success Rates in Recurrent Miscarriage

Recurrent miscarriage is when a woman has three pregnancy losses in a row before 20 weeks from the last menstrual period. It affects nearly 1% to 2% of women [6]. Other names for this condition are:

  • Recurrent pregnancy loss 
  • Habitual abortion
  • Recurrent spontaneous abortion

IVIG is a safe, effective, and well-tolerated treatment for recurrent miscarriage. 

Authors of a large 2022 review concluded that IVIG treatment can significantly increase the live birth rate in recurrent miscarriage. However, they stress the need for customizing the doses and timing of IVIG [7].

Earlier in 2017, a trial involving 94 pregnant women with recurrent miscarriage found a success rate of 86% in the IVIG-treated group. On the other hand, among 50 untreated women, the success rate was only 42% [8].

High-dose IVIG therapy during early pregnancy may also help increase the live birth rate in women with four or more recurrent pregnancy losses [9].

Given the lack of effective treatment options, IVIG appears promising because it not only improves pregnancy outcomes but also has an excellent safety profile. 

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IVIG Success Rates in Lupus Nephritis

Woman holding purple ribbon for lupus awareness

Lupus nephritis is a type of kidney disease in people with lupus. Nearly 50% of people with lupus will get kidney disease. The occurrence is higher in children with lupus, which is about 80% [10].

While appropriate treatment effectively controls lupus nephritis, between 10% to 30% of affected people will develop kidney failure. 

IVIG is a safe and effective alternative treatment for lupus nephritis. According to a 2022 review, IVIG success rates for people with lupus nephritis range from 60% to 70% [11].

IVIG Success Rates in CIDP

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a neurological disorder that causes a progressive loss of muscle strength and senses in the arms and legs. As a result, people with CIDP have problems with balance and gait.

While IVIG is an effective treatment for CIDP, success rates can vary according to the dose. 

For instance, investigators administered different doses of IVIG to three groups of participants. The first group received 0.5 g/kg, the second 1 g/kg, and the third 2.0 g/kg maintenance doses every 3 weeks.

The response rate was [12]:

  • 65% in the 0.5 g/kg group
  • 80% in the 1.0 g/kg group
  • 92% in the 2.0 g/kg group

REFERENCES:

  1. HaemSTAR Collaborators. “A single 1 g/kg dose of intravenous immunoglobulin is a safe and effective treatment for immune thrombocytopenia; results of the first HaemSTAR ‘Flash-Mob’ retrospective study incorporating 961 patients.” British journal of haematology vol. 196,2 (2022): 433-437. doi:10.1111/bjh.17692
  2. Schmidt DE, Heitink-Pollé KMJ, Bruin MCA, de Haas M. Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) in childhood immune thrombocytopenia: towards personalized medicine—a narrative review. Ann Blood 2021;6:3.
  3. Almizraq RJ, Branch DR. Efficacy and mechanism of intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for immune thrombocytopenia in adults. Ann Blood 2021;6:2.
  4. Nadig, P.L.; Joshi, V.; Pilania, R.K.; Kumrah, R.; Kabeerdoss, J.; Sharma, S.; Suri, D.; Rawat, A.; Singh, S. Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Kawasaki Disease—Evolution and Pathogenic Mechanisms. Diagnostics 2023, 13, 2338. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13142338
  5. Kuo, NC., Lin, CH. & Lin, MC. Comparative effectiveness of two intravenous immunoglobulin products in children with Kawasaki disease, a nationwide cohort study. Sci Rep 13, 18629 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-45092-5
  6. Ford, Holly B, and Danny J Schust. “Recurrent pregnancy loss: etiology, diagnosis, and therapy.” Reviews in obstetrics & gynecology vol. 2,2 (2009): 76-83.
  7. Shi, Yimin et al. “Efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of recurrent spontaneous abortion: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) vol. 88,5 (2022): e13615. doi:10.1111/aji.13615
  8. Ahmadi, Majid et al. “Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment modulates peripheral blood Th17 and regulatory T cells in recurrent miscarriage patients: Non randomized, open-label clinical trial.” Immunology letters vol. 192 (2017): 12-19. doi:10.1016/j.imlet.2017.10.003
  9. Yamada, Hideto et al. “Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in women with four or more recurrent pregnancy losses: A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.” EClinicalMedicine vol. 50 101527. 29 Jun. 2022, doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101527
  10. Lupus & Kidney Disease (Lupus Nephritis). (2024, March 1). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/lupus-nephritis#
  11. Cajamarca-Barón, Jairo et al. “Efficacy and safety of intravenous immunoglobulin in patients with lupus nephritis: A systematic review of the literature.” Autoimmunity reviews vol. 21,11 (2022): 103182. doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2022.103182
  12. David R Cornblath, Pieter A van Doorn, Hans-Peter Hartung, Ingemar S J Merkies, Hans D Katzberg, Doris Hinterberger, Elisabeth Clodi, the ProCID Investigators , Randomized trial of three IVIg doses for treating chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, Brain, Volume 145, Issue 3, March 2022, Pages 887–896, https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awab422
This information is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider about your medical condition prior to starting any new treatment. AmeriPharma™ Specialty Care assumes no liability whatsoever for the information provided or for any diagnosis or treatment made as a result, nor is it responsible for the reliability of the content. AmeriPharma™ Specialty Care does not operate all the websites/organizations listed here, nor is it responsible for the availability or reliability of their content. These listings do not imply or constitute an endorsement, sponsorship, or recommendation by AmeriPharma™ Specialty Care. This webpage may contain references to brand-name prescription drugs that are trademarks or registered trademarks of pharmaceutical manufacturers not affiliated with AmeriPharma™ Specialty Care.
MEDICALLY REVIEWED BY Dr. Robert Hakim, PharmD

Dr. Robert Chad Hakim, PharmD, was born and raised in Northridge, CA. He received his pharmacy degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy. The most rewarding part of his job is taking initiative to advance clinical programs that maximize impact on patient care. He has a board certification in critical care (BCCCP), and his areas of expertise are critical care, drug information, general medicine, and cardiology. In his free time, he enjoys traveling. 

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