About ZemairaWhat is Alpha-1?Patient SupportPatient SupportFor Healthcare ProfessionalsPrescribing InformationImportant Safety InformationAlready Treating Your Alpha-1?Newly diagnosed with alpha-1?Diagnosed with Chronic Lung Disease?Could it be Alpha-1?Alpha-1 Versus COPDAssessment QuestionaireQuestions to ask your doctorReceive Zemaira at no charge for up to 2 weeks.

Alpha-1 Versus COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of long-term, irreversible diseases that make it difficult to breathe because air does not flow easily out of the lungs. Some of the diseases generally associated with COPD are chronic bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema. Smoking is a leading cause of these conditions, but they can also be caused by genetic problems.

Alpha-1 deficiency is a genetic, or inherited, form of COPD that is often misdiagnosed as asthma or another form of COPD because the symptoms are so similar—shortness of breath, chronic cough, difficulty breathing, and wheezing.1 It is estimated that 12 million people in the United States have COPD,2 and nearly 100,000 of them have Alpha-1 deficiency, which in most cases has not been diagnosed or treated.1

Left untreated, Alpha-1 deficiency will worsen over time and can cause permanent damage to the lungs. So it is important to find out if your chronic lung problems are caused by Alpha-1 deficiency and, if so, to get proper treatment.

Could your COPD symptoms be caused by Alpha-1 deficiency? To find out, take the Alpha-1 Assessment Questionnaire. Discuss the answers with your doctor and together you can decide if you need testing.

To help you discuss Alpha-1 with your doctor, you can also download our Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Alpha-1 PDF.

Important Safety Information

Alpha1-Proteinase Inhibitor (Human), Zemaira is indicated for chronic augmentation and maintenance therapy for adults with alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (A1-PI) deficiency and emphysema. Clinical data demonstrating the long-term effects of chronic augmentation therapy with Zemaira are not available.

Zemaira may not be appropriate for the following adult individuals as they may experience severe reactions, including anaphylaxis: individuals with a known hypersensitivity and/or history of anaphylaxis or severe systemic reaction to A1-PI products or their components, and individuals with selective IgA deficiencies who have known antibodies against IgA.

In clinical studies, the following treatment-related adverse reactions were reported in 1% of subjects: asthenia (fatigue), injection-site pain, dizziness, headache, paresthesia (tingling), and pruritus (itching).

Zemaira is derived from human plasma. The risk of transmission of infectious agents, including viruses and, theoretically, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) agent, cannot be completely eliminated.

Please see full prescribing information.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

  1. Alpha-1 Foundation—What is Alpha-1? Alpha-1 Fast Facts. Available at: Alphaone.org. Accessed on October 11, 2007.
  2. COPD International Network—You Are Not Alone. Available at:
    www.copd-international.com. Accessed on October 24, 2007.