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Patients Prefer Convenience of Infusions at Home
ST. LOUIS, MO—Back in 2001, Mike Perk noticed he was becoming short of breath more often. Then active and in his early 30s, Perk blamed the problem on his smoking habit and asthma. His doctor wasn’t so sure and tested him for a rare genetic disorder, Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
Patients with the disease do not make enough Alpha I antitrypsin, a protein that protects the lungs. So every week, for about an hour, a registered nurse comes to Perk’s home to provide intravenous injections of Prolastin, a concentrated form of the protein. It’s not a cure, but it slows the progression of the disease, mostly the loss of lung function.
