Bioverativ to Partner with Invicro on Ultrasound Imaging of Hemophilia Joint Disease

Bioverativ will collaborate with the Boston imaging company Invicro to use ultrasound imaging to improve the diagnosis and management of joint disease in hemophilia patients.

“Through this innovative collaboration with Invicro, we hope to create meaningful progress in hemophilia care by helping people with hemophilia, their caregivers, physicians and treatment team monitor bleeding episodes and better understand the impact of different factor replacement therapies on joint health over time using state-of-the-art imaging,” Dr. Maha Radhakrishnan, a senior vice president of Bioverativ, said in a press release.

Bioverativ, a Biogen spin-off that develops hemophilia treatments, will use ultrasound to see how well its factor IX clotting therapies Eloctate, Alprolix and BIVV001 can prevent bleeding in joints.

It will also use the technique to see how factor IX is distributed in tissue, how it impacts joint health, and how it affects patient outcomes. It plans to present the results at a conference.

Hemophilia patients often experience bleeding in joints. This can lead to chronic pain for a long time.

Recognizing joint bleeds is a challenge. A better way of identifying them could lead to better treatment strategies and less joint damage.

Ultrasound could also help distinguish between joint bleeding and other joint conditions.

“The ability to quickly identify and treat joint bleeds is crucial to reducing the risk of long-term joint damage,” said Dr. Annette von Drygalski, director of the Hemophilia and Thrombosis Treatment Center at the University of California San Diego. “While there are a growing number of treatment options for people with hemophilia, the ability to identify subclinical bleeding episodes to optimally treat patients remains a significant challenge for both patients and physicians.”

The two companies also hope to come up with a standard way of using ultrasound imaging to assess joint health. It could help doctors diagnose and treat patients, and also help those conducting research and clinical trials.

Invicro will be the designated contract research organization in any clinical trials the partners conduct.