Human-Derived Immune Globulins for the Treatment of Botulism

Abstract

The need for a human-derived immune globulin to replace the equine antitoxins currently used in the treatment of botulism is well recognized. A small group of individuals who had received multiple immunizations with pentavalent botulinal toxoid were plasmapheresed for the purpose of collecting a botulism-immune plasma of human origin to be fractionated for the production of immune globulin. Human-derived immune globulin will offer the advantage over equine antitoxins of not inducing reactions to foreign protein and of having a prolonged effective half-life.