Introduction: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disorder caused by deficiency or dysfunction of C1-esterase inhibitor that is characterized by recurrent episodes of bradykinin-mediated edema. Lanadelumab has been the only available first-line therapy for long-term prophylaxis (LTP) of HAE in China since its approval in 2020. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of lanadelumab for LTP in Chinese patients.
Methods: A retrospective clinical data were collected for the 6 patients and used to examine the frequency of attack symptoms, disease-related loss of work days, and quality of life before and after LTP with lanadelumab. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and the Angioedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (AE-QoL).
Results: Lanadelumab led to reductions of 97.8% and 98.5% in the attack rate and treated attack rate, respectively. All patients exhibited significant improvements in AE-QoL and DLQI scores (100% reduction rates) during the early treatment period (4 weeks and 2 weeks, respectively) and in missed work days/year (98.9% reduction rate). The efficacy of lanadelumab remained stable during COVID-19 vaccination and infection. No serious/severe treatment-emergent adverse events occurred during lanadelumab treatment.
Conclusion: This study is the first report that demonstrates the clinical efficacy of lanadelumab and safety of LTP in HAE patients from Chinese mainland. A reasonable dosage plan can ensure a quick and long-lasting protective role of lanadelumab against HAE attacks, during COVID-19 pandemic period.