Patients & Caregivers Site

Cystic fibrosis (CF) Patient Profiles: Scenarios for prescribing with Pulmozyme 

How would you manage the challenges presented in these CF patients?

Child Young adult Adult

Monica R,* age 5, starting school

  • Parents actively manage care

Medical History

  • Initial treatment included vest therapy BID and pancreatic enzyme replacement
  • Occasionally displayed nonproductive cough, usually with onset of a cold

Current presentation

  • Intermittent cough becoming more frequent and productive over last 2 weeks
  • Slight loss of appetite and weight during the last month
  • FEV1 normal at 95% of predicted
  • Chest CT scan shows air trapping, mucus impaction, bronchial wall thickening

*Not actual patient.
†Requiring parenteral antibiotics.1

How might your younger patients fight CF?

Exacerbations can occur at a young age. Studies have shown lung damage may already be present by the time patients present CF symptoms.

1/5

About 1 in 5 patients have experienced 1 or more exacerbation by age 1011

40-70

By the time patients present symptoms 40% to 70% of CF, they have computed tomography (CT)-defined bronchiectasis12,13

Amy T,* age 22, young professional

  • Determined to reduce her risk of exacerbations†
  • Prefers to schedule and manage her own treatment at home

Recent Medical History

  • Treated with vest therapy, inhaled antibiotics, and dornase alfa QD
  • Recently prescribed a CFTR modulator
  • Experienced just 3 exacerbations in college and maintained FEV1 between 75% and 80% of predicted
  • Hospitalized twice in the last 8 months with Pseudomonas aeruginosa despite compliance and regular visits to her pulmonologist. Pulmozyme dose increased to BID each time, but reverted to QD 2 weeks after hospital discharge

Current presentation

  • Low-grade fever
  • Increasing cough and shortness of breath interfering with work and therapy over the last month
  • FEV1 decreased to 70% of predicted

*Not actual patient.
†Requiring parenteral antibiotics.1

If once-daily dosing isnt enough
Keep appropriate patients fighting with Pulmozyme BID dosing1

Patients >21 years of age may benefit from twice-daily (BID) dosing to reduce exacerbation risk.

Pulmozyme BID reduced the relative risk of exacerbations among patients ≥21 years of age with FVC ≥40% of predicted.

Incidence of first exacerbation in patients ≥21 years of age (N=384)1

Placebo 44%
2.5 mg QD 48%
2.5 mg BID 39%

 

HCP Decrease

In patients with FVC ≥40% of predicted, Pulmozyme works to reduce risk of exacerbation1,9

Matthew D,* age 30, busy professional

  • Has trouble with treatment adherence

Recent Medical History

  • Infertility issues and history of asthma
  • Chest CT showed bronchiectasis
  • Treated with Pulmozyme QD, hypertonic saline QD, vest physiotherapy BID, and inhaled antibiotics BID

Current presentation

  • Experienced 4 exacerbations† over the last 2 years, leading to hospitalization
  • Treated with Pulmozyme BID in the hospital and remained on it even after FEV1 was stabilized
  • FEV1 was at 58% when he was hospitalized and is now back up to or near 70%

*Not actual patient.
†Requiring parenteral antibiotics.1

The fight against CF can continue into adulthood
Patients between 15 and 30 years of age are more likely to experience at least 1 exacerbation per year

Pulmonary exacerbations by age11

Pulmonary exacerbations by age

*Pulmonary exacerbations are defined as treatment in the hospital and/or at home with a course of IV antibiotics.
†The light gray bars represent the total number of patients with CF, by age, according to the 2015 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry report.

As new treatments are added to CF treatment plans, it is important to remind patients about the role their current treatments play in the management of CF. Because many patients are on Pulmozyme, reminding them of the distinct role of Pulmozyme in working to fight CF may help keep them adherent.

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Important Safety Information

Indication and Usage

Pulmozyme (dornase alfa) is indicated for daily administration in conjunction with standard therapies for the management of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients to improve pulmonary function.

In CF patients with an FVC ≥ 40% of predicted, daily administration of Pulmozyme has also been shown to reduce the risk of respiratory tract infections requiring parenteral antibiotics.

Pulmozyme is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to dornase alfa, Chinese Hamster Ovary cell products, or any component of the product.

The most common adverse reactions associated with the use of Pulmozyme include: voice alteration, pharyngitis, rash, laryngitis, chest pain, conjunctivitis, rhinitis, decrease in FVC of ≥ 10%, fever, dyspepsia, and dyspnea. There have been no reports of anaphylaxis attributed to the administration of Pulmozyme. Mild to moderate urticaria and mild skin rash have been observed and have been transient.

Pediatric Use

The safety and effectiveness of Pulmozyme in conjunction with standard therapies for cystic fibrosis have been established in pediatric patients. Use of Pulmozyme in pediatric patients is supported by evidence in the following age groups:

  • Patients 5 to 17 years of age: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 303 of clinically stable cystic fibrosis patients 5 to 17 years of age who received Pulmozyme.
  • Patients less than 5 years: Extrapolation of efficacy data in patients 5 years of age and older with additional safety data in 65 pediatric patients aged 3 months to less than 5 years who received Pulmozyme 2.5 mg daily by inhalation for 2 weeks.

The safety of Pulmozyme, 2.5 mg by inhalation, was studied with 2 weeks of daily administration in 98 pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis 3 months to 10 years of age (65 aged 3 months to < 5 years, 33 aged 5 to ≤ 10 years). The PARI BABYTM reusable nebulizer (which uses a facemask instead of a mouthpiece) was utilized in patients unable to demonstrate the ability to inhale or exhale orally throughout the entire treatment period (54/65, 83% of the younger; and 2/33, 6% of the older patients). Overall, the nature of adverse reactions was similar to that seen in the placebo-controlled trials in older patients. The number of patients reporting cough was higher in the younger age group as compared to the older age group (29/65, 45%; compared to 10/33, 30%) as was the number reporting moderate to severe cough (24/65, 37%; compared to 6/33, 18%). The number of patients reporting rhinitis was higher in the younger age group as compared to the older age group (23/65, 35%; compared to 9/33, 27%) as was the number reporting rash (4/65, 6% as compared to 0/33, 0%).

You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to Genentech at 1-888-835-2555.

Please see Pulmozyme full Prescribing Information for additional Important Safety Information.

    • Pulmozyme (dornase alfa) [package insert]. South San Francisco, CA: Genentech, Inc; 2024.

      Pulmozyme (dornase alfa) [package insert]. South San Francisco, CA: Genentech, Inc; 2024.

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    Non-US Residents visit: Pulmozyme.global