Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Due to the identification of new adverse events, Sanofi Genzyme has placed a dosing hold on its full clinical development program for fitusiran, an investigational treatment for hemophilia. The decision was announced in a joint statement from the World Federation of Hemophilia, the European…

Manual therapy, in combination with passive stretching, can reduce the frequency of joint bleeds and improve joint health in people with hemophilia, a small study shows. The study, “The effectiveness of manual therapy in addition to passive stretching exercises in the treatment of patients with haemophilic…

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)’s RareLaunch training program will host two days of free virtual workshops in December, with the aim of empowering leaders to start non-profit organizations and research programs to help people with rare diseases. “The RareLaunch program is central to NORD’s mission and history — community…

Most people with hemophilia who undergo knee replacement surgery have favorable outcomes, including less pain and improved function, a new single-center study from South Korea reports. The study, “Mid-to Long-Term Survival of Total Knee Arthroplasty in Hemophilic Arthropathy,” was published in the Journal of…

A majority of rare disease patients using telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic thought the experience positive, and many would like the option of continuing its use in future appointments, a series of surveys found. The surveys were conducted by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and involved more than 800…

Daratumumab — a cancer therapy marketed as Darzalex — can reduce levels of factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitors in people with hemophilia type A, researchers say. Their findings were published in a letter to the editor, titled “Daratumumab rapidly reduces high‐titre factor VIII inhibitors in…

A single dose of BIVV001 is safe and effectively increases factor VIII (FVIII) activity over one month in men with severe hemophilia A, lasting longer in the body than the replacement therapy Advate, results from the EXTEN-A clinical trial suggest. Gains in half-life seen with BIVV001 “could signal…

Refixia or Rebinyn (nonacog beta pegol, or N9-GP), an approved replacement therapy for hemophilia B, is effective and has a good safety profile in previously untreated boys younger than 6 with severe to moderately severe disease, an early analysis of a Phase 3 trial indicates.  In…

CB 2679d-GT, an investigational gene therapy for hemophilia B being developed by Catalyst Biosciences, can increase factor IX (FIX) levels and significantly reduce bleeding, early studies show. The data, “Combination of a Novel Chimeric AAV Capsid and Potency Enhanced FIX Variant for Hemophilia B…

Approximately 30,000 males have hemophilia in the U.S., according to estimates from a recent study, which also found that patients with hemophilia are generally young and that the disease is more common in Northeastern and Midwestern states. The study, “Occurrence rates of haemophilia among males in…