This page provides information on the main treatment options for people with primary and secondary immunodeficiency.
Infections in people affected by primary or secondary immunodeficiency need to be treated promptly at the first sign of infection. The treatments most used for the recurrent infections that occur in primary and secondary immunodeficiency are antibiotics, anti-fungals, and in some cases anti-virals. Some people may need to take these types of antimicrobial medicines as a preventative (prophylactic) measure to prevent infections.
People with severe antibody deficiency due to either having a primary or secondary immunodeficiency may be offered immunoglobulin replacement therapy. This blood-based treatment provides people with the antibodies (immunoglobulins) they need to fight infection. In 2020-2021, *7275 people with immunodeficiency were prescribed immunoglobulin therapy.
Other more specialist treatments such as haematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) and gene therapy may be suitable for people affected by certain primary immunodeficiencies.
*Immunoglobulin database report – data update 2020/21, September 2022.
