Which conditions can be treated with THERAKOS™ Photopheresis?

Extracorporeal (outside the body) photopheresis (or ECP) can be used in the treatment of various immune mediated diseases, but is predominantly used for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is a rare form of slow-growing cancer that is caused by an abnormality in a certain type of white blood cell (WBC) called a T-lymphocyte, or T-cell.

Graft-versus-host disease is a condition that occurs when immune cells from a transplant donor attack the body cells of the transplant recipient. Graft-versus-host disease can occur after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or stem cell transplantation (SCT). There are two types of GVHD, which are called acute GVHD (aGVHD) and chronic GVHD (cGVHD).

Photopheresis has also been used to treat patients with rejection after solid organ transplant (SOT) operations.

In multiple clinical trials, THERAKOS™ Photopheresis has been shown to reduce the signs and symptoms of CTCL.^4,5 In other studies, photopheresis has been associated with a reduction in the amount of immunosuppressive therapy needed to treat patients who have GVHD.^16-20 Photopheresis has also been shown to be associated with an improvement in GVHD and some of the symptoms associated with GVHD and SOT rejection.^16-23