Successful Routine Use of Quantum Blue® Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Assays in an Italian Children Hospital

We had the opportunity to interview Dr. Giuliana Cangemi, head of the chromatography and mass spectrometry unit at the central laboratory of the pediatric hospital Gaslini in Genova. Dr. Cangemi successfully introduced the four Quantum Blue® TDM assays in her local laboratory. They initially measured trough levels for infliximab and adalimumab and as soon as the assays to measure anti-drug antibodies (ADA) were available, they also started to use them. Before switching to Quantum Blue® rapid tests, an ELISA method was used. With the switch to the rapid tests, they are now able to measure patient samples at the very time when the patients come for their clinic appointment as the lab now doesn’t have to wait until enough patient samples are collected in order to fill an ELISA plate. The clinicians are happy to receive the results quickly and the assays also need very little blood volume, which is an advantage when it comes to children. Dr. Cangemi and her team have so far measured all their gastroenterology and rheumatology patients reactively and have now moved to proactively monitor all their patients. When the samples are measured, they start first with the serum drug concentration. If the levels are within the therapeutic window, no further tests are needed. The anti-drug antibody concentrations are only measured if the drug concentration is undetectable.