Ceredase
Alglucerase
Pharmaceutical drug
Alglucerase was a biopharmaceutical drug for the treatment of Gaucher's disease. It was a modified form of human β-glucocerebrosidase enzyme, where the non-reducing ends of the oligosaccharide chains have been terminated with mannose residues.[1]
Ceredase is the trade name of a citrate buffered solution of alglucerase that was manufactured by Genzyme Corporation from human placental tissue.[1] It is given intravenously in the treatment of Type 1 Gaucher's disease. This was the first drug approved as an enzyme replacement therapy.[1]
It was approved by the FDA in 1991.[2] It has been withdrawn from the market[3][4] due to the approval of similar drugs made with recombinant DNA technology instead of being harvested from tissue; drugs made recombinantly, since there is no concern about diseases being transmitted from the tissue used in harvesting, and are less expensive to manufacture[1] (see imiglucerase).
