Online Support

The following independent organizations are dedicated to supporting patients and families living with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). If your patient has a CGD, you are familiar with their challenges of managing it day-to-day. Here are community organizations that provide education and support for people with a CGD and other rare conditions:

Independent Organizations for Those Living With CGD
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CGD Association of America is an independent, nonprofit organization that is committed to advocating for patients and carriers with CGD.

https://cgdaa.org/

The Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF) is a national nonprofit patient organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with different kinds of primary immunodeficiency diseases, such as CGD. IDF provides a wide variety of resources for people with CGD, including information about diagnosis and treatment options.

https://primaryimmune.org

The Jeffrey Modell Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted to diagnosis, meaningful treatments, and cures for primary immunodeficiency diseases. Thirty years after its creation, the organization continues its mission of hope, advocacy, and action by supporting the medical and global patient community.

http://www.info4pi.org

The mission of Remember the Girls is to raise awareness of the many issues facing female carriers of X-linked genetic disorders; provide a forum for X-linked females to share their stories, ask questions, provide and receive emotional support; and advocate for increased attention of the medical community to the physical and emotional issues of females who carry X-linked disorders.

https://www.rememberthegirls.org/

Independent Organizations for Those Living With a Rare Disease
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Global Genes is a leading nonprofit organization for patients and families fighting rare and genetic diseases like CGD. Their mission is to provide connections and resources so people can become activists for their disease and feel empowered to keep moving forward.

https://globalgenes.org/

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a patient advocacy organization dedicated to people with rare diseases and the groups that help them. NORD provides patients and families with helpful advocacy information, assistance programs, and connections to patient organizations.

https://rarediseases.org/

The EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases is dedicated to accelerating biotech innovation for rare disease treatments through science-driven public policy.

https://everylifefoundation.org/

ANGEL AID connects rare communities to teach the tools of self-care, and how to be listened to without judgment.

https://www.angelaidcares.org/

Our Odyssey’s mission is connecting young adults impacted by a rare or chronic condition with social and emotional support in the hope of improving their quality of life.

https://ourodyssey.org/

Next Step is a nonprofit that shatters limitations and elevates aspirations of young people with serious illness during their transition to adulthood through campferences, mentorship, music therapy, and other tailored programming.

https://nextstepnet.org/

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Horizon By Your Side is here to help your patient understand their options for paying for treatment

Important Safety Information

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

ACTIMMUNE® (Interferon gamma-1b) is indicated:

  • For reducing the frequency and severity of serious infections associated with Chronic Granulomatous Disease
  • For delaying time to disease progression in patients with severe, malignant osteopetrosis

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

CONTRAINDICATIONS

  • In patients who develop or have known hypersensitivity to interferon-gamma,  E coli-derived products, or any component of the product

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

  • ACTIMMUNE should be used with caution in patients with:
    • Pre-existing cardiac conditions, including ischemia, congestive heart failure, or arrhythmia
    • Seizure disorders or compromised central nervous system function; reduce dose or discontinue
    • Myelosuppression, or receiving other potentially myelosuppressive agents; consider dose reduction or discontinuation of therapy
    • Severe renal insufficiency
    • Age <1 year
  • Monitoring:
    • Patients begun on ACTIMMUNE before age 1 year should receive monthly assessments of liver function. If severe hepatic enzyme elevations develop, ACTIMMUNE dosage should be modified
    • Monitor renal function regularly when administering ACTIMMUNE in patients with severe renal insufficiency; accumulation of interferon gamma-1b may occur with repeated administration. Renal toxicity has been reported in patients receiving ACTIMMUNE
  • Pregnancy, Lactation, and Fertility:
    • ACTIMMUNE should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk to the fetus
    • Use of ACTIMMUNE by lactating mothers is not recommended. ACTIMMUNE or nursing should be discontinued dependent on the importance of the drug to the mother
    • Long-term effects of ACTIMMUNE on fertility are not known

DRUG INTERACTIONS

  • Concomitant use of drugs with neurotoxic, hematotoxic, or cardiotoxic effects may increase the toxicity of interferons
  • Avoid simultaneous administration of ACTIMMUNE with other heterologous serum protein or immunological preparations
    (eg, vaccines)

ADVERSE REACTIONS

  • The most common adverse experiences occurring with ACTIMMUNE therapy are “flu-like” symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, myalgia, or fatigue, which may decrease in severity as treatment continues, and may be minimized by bedtime administration of ACTIMMUNE. Acetaminophen may be used to prevent or partially alleviate the fever and headache
  • Isolated cases of acute serious hypersensitivity reactions have been observed in patients receiving ACTIMMUNE
  • Reversible neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and elevations of AST and/or ALT have been observed during ACTIMMUNE therapy
  • At doses 10 times greater than the weekly recommended dose, ACTIMMUNE may exacerbate pre-existing cardiac conditions, or may cause reversible neurological effects such as decreased mental status, gait disturbance, and dizziness

Important Safety Information

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

ACTIMMUNE® (Interferon gamma-1b) is indicated:

  • For reducing the frequency and severity of serious infections associated with Chronic Granulomatous Disease
  • For delaying time to disease progression in patients with severe, malignant osteopetrosis

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

CONTRAINDICATIONS

  • In patients who develop or have known hypersensitivity to interferon-gamma,  E coli-derived products, or any component of the product

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

  • ACTIMMUNE should be used with caution in patients with:
    • Pre-existing cardiac conditions, including ischemia, congestive heart failure, or arrhythmia
    • Seizure disorders or compromised central nervous system function; reduce dose or discontinue
    • Myelosuppression, or receiving other potentially myelosuppressive agents; consider dose reduction or discontinuation of therapy
    • Severe renal insufficiency
    • Age <1 year
  • Monitoring:
    • Patients begun on ACTIMMUNE before age 1 year should receive monthly assessments of liver function. If severe hepatic enzyme elevations develop, ACTIMMUNE dosage should be modified
    • Monitor renal function regularly when administering ACTIMMUNE in patients with severe renal insufficiency; accumulation of interferon gamma-1b may occur with repeated administration. Renal toxicity has been reported in patients receiving ACTIMMUNE
  • Pregnancy, Lactation, and Fertility:
    • ACTIMMUNE should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk to the fetus
    • Use of ACTIMMUNE by lactating mothers is not recommended. ACTIMMUNE or nursing should be discontinued dependent on the importance of the drug to the mother
    • Long-term effects of ACTIMMUNE on fertility are not known

DRUG INTERACTIONS

  • Concomitant use of drugs with neurotoxic, hematotoxic, or cardiotoxic effects may increase the toxicity of interferons
  • Avoid simultaneous administration of ACTIMMUNE with other heterologous serum protein or immunological preparations
    (eg, vaccines)

ADVERSE REACTIONS

  • The most common adverse experiences occurring with ACTIMMUNE therapy are “flu-like” symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, myalgia, or fatigue, which may decrease in severity as treatment continues, and may be minimized by bedtime administration of ACTIMMUNE. Acetaminophen may be used to prevent or partially alleviate the fever and headache
  • Isolated cases of acute serious hypersensitivity reactions have been observed in patients receiving ACTIMMUNE
  • Reversible neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and elevations of AST and/or ALT have been observed during ACTIMMUNE therapy
  • At doses 10 times greater than the weekly recommended dose, ACTIMMUNE may exacerbate pre-existing cardiac conditions, or may cause reversible neurological effects such as decreased mental status, gait disturbance, and dizziness