Enzyme replacement therapy for Pompe disease received market authorization in 2006. To implement this costly treatment in the Netherlands in the most sensible way, a multidisciplinary expert committee was installed. The authors evaluated decision making in adult patients in relation to the European POmpe Consortium stop criteria.
Of 125 adult Pompe patients, 111 started treatment; subsequently treatment stopped in 24 patients (21%). In 10 patients, treatment was discontinued for medical or personal reasons, as defined in the six stop criteria (median treatment duration: 2.1 years, range: 0.3-14.6 years). Three of these patients continued follow-up (follow-up: 1.3-8.0 years), these patients did not display a more rapid decline after discontinuation. In 14 of 24 patients, therapy ended at time of death. In 10 patients death was related to Pompe disease (median treatment duration: 7.2 years, range: 0.4-10.3 years). All 10 patients were severely affected at start of treatment, treatment had elicited positive effects in eight.
The European POmpe Consortium guidelines worked well in decision making on stopping treatment. However, (re)evaluation of the rationale for continuation of treatment in advanced disease stage is not addressed. The researchers suggest to add this to the treatment evaluation and to handle treatment decisions in a multidisciplinary expert team.
