The Food and Drug Administration recently approved Gamunex, an immune globulin intravenous therapy, for the treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), a condition characterized by progressive weakness and impaired sensory function in the arms and legs. Immune globulin products are obtained from pooled human blood plasma, which contains infection-fighting antibodies, and are often given to HIVers at risk for certain infectious diseases. It is estimated that CIDP affects about 25,000 Americans.
