CONTENTS:
- Comparing Brand and a Specific Generic Eltrombopag for Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)
- Immune Modulation: Read about this treatment approach, mechanism of action, benefits, and side effects
Each month, PDSA highlights interesting findings and insightful expert commentary to help enhance your understanding of ITP and partner more effectively with your care team. This month, we share the following:
Comparing Brand and a Specific Generic Eltrombopag for Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)
What was studied?
This comparative research study of 104 adults with ITP treated only with steroids and IVIG
looked at how well generic eltrombopag (Rompag®) works compared to the brand version of eltrombopag (Revolade®) in adults with relapsed or refractory immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), a condition where
the immune system destroys platelets, which help blood clot. Patients were followed for at least three months across 10 treatment centers primarily
in the mid-East region.
Rompag is a generic form of eltrombopag manufactured in India. It is not available in the United States at this time and is not necessarily identical to other generic forms of eltrombopag such as Alvaiz.
Key findings for patients:- Effectiveness: Both the generic (Rompag) and brand (Revolade) drugs were effective at increasing platelet counts in most patients. About 94% of those on the brand and around 86% on the generic had a good response. While the difference was not statistically significant, it favored the brand version of eltrombopag, as did the rate of reduction of bleeding symptoms, although both improved significantly in both groups over time.
- Fatigue: Patients in both treatment groups reported meaningful improvements in fatigue — an important quality-of-life issue for people with ITP.
- Side Effects: Overall safety was similar in that no serious and unexpected adverse events were seen. However, joint pain (arthralgia) and vomiting were significantly more common with the generic (Rompag) form. Most of these and other side effects tended to be mild and manageable.
What this means for you:
If you’re living with ITP and considering treatment with eltrombopag, this study suggests
that overall the generic version works similarly well to the brand version for increasing platelets and reducing bleeding and fatigue.
Both options appeared generally safe, though some side effects varied slightly between them. Discuss with your clinician to choose the option that best fits your treatment goals and context. Your insurance company may unfortunately make the decision for you, but overall it appears that this generic option is very much the same as Eltrombopag–Promacta–Revolade (three names for the same drug).
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41598573/
Immune Modulation
Read about this treatment approach, mechanism of action, benefits, and side effects.
