MED.00142 Gene Therapy for Cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy Form
This document addresses gene replacement therapy for cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD), a rare and life-threatening hereditary neurological disorder. One gene therapy product, elivaldogene autotemcel (Skysona®), has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat individuals affected by CALD. Elivaldogene autotemcel is an autologous hematopoietic stem cell-based gene therapy that requires recipients to undergo hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) mobilization followed by apheresis to obtain CD34+ cells for elivaldogene autotemcel manufacturing, as well as administration of full myeloablative conditioning before infusion of elivaldogene autotemcel.
Note: For other information regarding adrenoleukodystrophy treatments, please see:
- CG-MED-68 Therapeutic Apheresis
- TRANS.00029 Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Genetic Diseases and Aplastic Anemias
Position Statement
Medically Necessary:
A one-time infusion of elivaldogene autotemcel is considered medically necessary when all of the following criteria are met:
- The individual is in the early stages of cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD), as confirmed by the following:
- Elevated very long chain fatty acid levels; and
- Confirmation of the presence of an ABCD1 genetic mutation; and
- CALD-specific Neurological Function Scale (NFS) score of 0 or 1; and
- Active central nervous system (CNS) disease with demyelinating lesions demonstrated on brain gadolinium-enhanced MRI with Loes score between 0.5 and 9.0 on the 34-point scale; and
- The individual is a candidate for an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, but ineligible due the absence of a donor*; and
- The individual is 4 to 17 years of age; and
- Absence of any clinically significant cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological, renal or pulmonary disease, or other disease or condition that poses a contraindication to the procedure, including myeloablative conditioning.
* Documentation that a suitable donor has not been identified, for example, a matched related donor or matched (HLA 8/8 or 7/8) unrelated donor.
Investigational and Not Medically Necessary:
Elivaldogene autotemcel is considered investigational and not medically necessary when the criteria above are not met, including for repeat infusions.
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