Latebreakers: Immune globulin approved for hepatitis B reinfection
Liver transplant patients with a prior history of hepatitis B (HBV) can now receive HepaGam B, from Cangene Corp., to prevent reinfection.
Liver transplant patients with a prior history of hepatitis B (HBV) can now receive HepaGam B, from Cangene Corp., to prevent reinfection. The FDA recently approved the biologic in patients who have already been exposed to HBV and are at increased risk for reinfection due to a weakened immune system. HepaGam B is the first immune globulin approved for this purpose. The product was previously approved to prevent infection with HBV after acute exposure to blood or certain body fluids containing HBV, perinatal exposure of infants to mothers previously exposed to HBV, household exposure to persons with acute HBV infection, and sexual exposure to persons previously exposed to HBV.
