Long-term safety of enzyme replacement therapy with agalsidase alfa in patients with Fabry disease: post-marketing extension surveillance in Japan

Abstract

Fabry disease is a rare inherited X-linked metabolic disorder in which deficient alpha-galactosidase A activity causes progressive build-up of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) and multi-system dysfunction. Following approval of agalsidase alfa for Fabry disease in Japan in 2006, an 8-year all-case post-marketing surveillance (PMS) showed that the treatment was well tolerated and effective for managing disease progression in adult Japanese patients. The present nationwide prospective observational study extended the initial PMS by enrolling patients who continued agalsidase alfa treatment after the initial 8-year period in a 6.5-year extension survey. Patient information from the initial PMS and the extension survey was evaluated as a single data set (observation period: February 2007–September 2021). Of 493 patients in the initial PMS, 129 (45.0% male classic, 6.2% male non-classic, 48.8% female heterozygous phenotype) consented to participate in the extension survey and were included in the analysis. The mean duration of treatment was 9.6 years. A total of 145 adverse drug reactions (ADRs) occurred in 31 patients (24%), and 22 serious ADRs occurred in 12 patients (9.3%). Although serious cardiac, renal, or cerebrovascular adverse events decreased in frequency over time in male patients, serious cardiac events continued to occur in female patients, who showed higher incidence of cardiac complications at baseline. No new safety concerns were identified. Additionally, long-term agalsidase alfa treatment sustained the initial reduction in Gb3 concentrations without increasing the rate of anti-agalsidase antibody positivity. These findings suggest that agalsidase alfa treatment demonstrates continued safety and sustains patients' clinical course over the long term.