Immune Globulins and Autism Ranking:

Cost and Time

Cost

The cost of using immunoglobulins will depend on a number of factors including the supplier, the brand, the dosage, and the length and frequency of treatment.
According to the BNF website accessed on 12 April 2018, the NHS indicative price for three of the commonly used brands was as follows

• Kiovig 10g/100ml solution for infusion vials, £490 per vial
• Octagam 10g/100ml solution for infusion bottles, £586.50 per bottle
• Privigen 10g/100ml solution for infusion vials, £459.00 per vial

According to the Choosing Wisely website, accessed on 12 April 2018, 

“The … procedure can cost more than $30,000 a year. Because the treatment provides only temporary protection, it must be repeated regularly and usually for the patient’s whole life.”

Time

The amount of time it takes to use immunoglobulin therapy will depend on a number of factors including the overall length of treatment, the frequency of infusions and the time taken to administer a single infusion.

Immunoglobulin therapy is normally considered as a long-term treatment for immune dysfunction conditions because the infusions need to be repeated on a regular basis and usually for the patient’s whole life. In all of the studies we identified which included autistic participants, the researchers administered immunoglobulin therapy for a period between two to six months, with some suggesting that it needed to be continued for longer.

Immunoglobulin infusions may be given as much as five times a day or only once every three weeks. Infusions can take between five and 30 minutes to administer depending on the brand and the mechanism used (intravenous versus subcutaneous).

Updated

16 Jun 2022

Last Review

31 May 2018

Next Review

01 Jun 2024