Antonio Ochoa-Ferraro

I was born in Seville, Spain, and moved to the UK in 2002 after completing my pharmacy degree, for a summer job at Halton General Hospital Pharmacy that unexpectedly evolved into a rewarding career in hospital pharmacy. Hospital pharmacy in the UK inspired me to return to the UK to train as a hospital pharmacist after completing a biochemistry degree in Spain.

I trained at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, rotating through different specialties before specialising in aseptic pharmacy, working with chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition and clinical trials for almost ten years and managing two units. When a position specialising in inherited metabolic disorders (IMD) at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) arose, I embraced the opportunity, driven by my interest in rare diseases, patient contact and new challenges.

My position involves direct patient care across the UK, with UHB being the national centre for some rare conditions such as Alström Syndrome. While fulfilling, the work is challenging, especially when treatment options are unavailable. Educating healthcare professionals and the public about IMD is a key part of my role, taking every opportunity to raise awareness about IMD and rare disorders, contributing to national guidelines and research.

With support from Professor Hiwot, Dr Dawson, and my mentor, Dr Jeff Aston, I became the UK's first consultant pharmacist for IMD in February 2025. Despite the challenges of balancing work and portfolio development, their encouragement kept me going.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue learning (currently studying a Genomic Medicine postgraduate), and contributing to patient’s care. It’s an honour to work in IMD and I try every day to positively impact patients’ lives.

Enhancing Enzyme Replacement Therapy Across the UK: Initiation Practices and Faster Infusion Rates

Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs) are complex, multi-systemic inherited metabolic conditions characterized by the abnormal accumulation of toxic materials within cells due to a deficiency in specific enzymes or proteins. Some LSD can be treated with Enzyme Replacement Therapies (ERT), which are administered through intravenous infusions at NHS specialised adult and paediatric centres. In the UK, ERT is initiated in LSD centres and continued at patients’ homes by homecare companies. The infusion rates of ERT significantly impact treatment duration, nursing visit time, and associated costs.

Two surveys conducted using MS Forms® among LSD centres explored the initiation of ERT across the UK and the adoption of faster ERT infusion rates to shorten infusion times. Responses for the first survey from LSD centres highlighted differences in the number of hospital-supervised infusions before transferring to homecare, the use of pre-medication in treatment-naive patients, and the preparation of infusions. Paediatric centres routinely offer pre-medication, and a higher number of hospital infusions compared to adult centres. 

The second survey revealed that 63% of centres that responded administer ERT at rates exceeding the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) recommendations, with 50% adopting faster rates upon specific request. Treatments with faster infusion rates included agalsidase beta, pegunigalsidase alfa, alglucosidase alfa, and others. Strategies to increase infusion rates involved eliminating infusion steps and increasing the maximum infusion rate. 

The tailored approach to ERT initiation and administration in the UK aims to improve patient quality of life by reducing treatment time burdens and accommodating individual patient needs. There are differences among the UK centres in initiation and management of the ERT infusions, particularly with regards to faster than recommended infusion rates and seen in these surveys among UK LSD centres.