Rabbit ATG for aplastic anaemia treatment: a backward step?

Another preparation of hATG (ATGAM) is manufactured in the USA, and has similar success rates to hATG (Lymphoglobulin) used in Europe,2 but its availability is restricted almost exclusively to the USA. rATG was previously used in patients not responding to a first course of immunosuppressive therapy, or in patients relapsing after hATG, with response rates on 30–77%.1 There are only limited published data of rATG (Thymoglobulin) as first-line immunosuppressive therapy in aplastic anaemia.4–7 At the 2010 American Society for Haematology meeting, Scheinberg and co-workers2 presented a randomised study that compared hATG (ATGAM) and ciclosporin with rATG and ciclosporin. [...]most studies show significantly superior response, survival, and death rates with hATG compared with rATG. Carlo Dufour, Department of Haematology, G Gaslini Children's Hospital, Genoa, Italy; Andrea Bacigalupo and Rosi Oneto, Department of Haematology II, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino, Genoa, Italy; Gerard Socie, Haematology–Transplantation, Hospital Saint Louis, and University Paris 7, Paris, France; Andre Tichelli and Jakob R Passweg, Department of Haematology, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland; Antonio M Risitano, Department of Haematology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Hubert Schrezenmeier, Institute for Clinical Transfusion Medicine and Immunogenetics, German Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, and University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; Anna Locasciulli, Department of Paediatric Haematology, Ospedale San Camillo, Rome, Italy; Mohammed Aljurf, Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Judith C W Marsh, Department of Haematological Medicine, King's College Hospital and King's College London, London, UK.