Vanda Pinto, PhD,  science writer—

​​Vanda is a biochemist with a PhD in biomedicine from the University of Porto, Portugal. She conducted her postdoctoral research first at the Bristol Medical School, U.K., studying the insulin-PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in diabetic nephropathy, then at the Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, where her focus was on glycosylation in lupus nephritis and inflammatory bowel disease. She next made the switch to science publishing, handling papers in biochemistry, molecular biology, and immunology.

Articles by Vanda Pinto

Real-world Study Shows Lab-made Kovaltry Works Better for Hem A

Patients with hemophilia A who switched to Kovaltry (octocog alfa) — a recombinant, or lab-made, factor VIII (rFVIII) replacement therapy given at home — had significantly fewer bleeds than with their previous standard half-life replacement therapies, a real-world study in Italy reported. The therapy also reduced the frequency…

Prophylaxis May Help to Preserve Bone Mineral Density in Children

Bone mineral density — the amount of minerals in bone tissue — is markedly lower in children with moderate and severe hemophilia than their healthy peers as a result of recurrent bleeding episodes that damage their joints, according to a small, single-center study in India. Preventive, or prophylactic, treatment was…

WFH Celebrates Milestone in Distributing Bleeding Disorder Therapies

The World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) is commemorating having successfully distributed, since 1996, over one billion international units (IUs) of factor and non-factor replacement therapies for people with inherited bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia, through its Humanitarian Aid Program. Donations from the program have improved the quality…

Sexual Problems Nearly 4 Times More Likely for Hemophilia Patients

People with hemophilia are nearly four times more likely to experience sexual problems than are individuals without bleeding disorders, according to the results of a new international survey. The survey found that problems with sexual intimacy in patients with hemophilia were associated with older age, experiencing acute or chronic pain…

HFA Tackles Mental Health ‘Head-on’ With New Well-being Courses

The Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) is now offering mental health and well-being courses, through its Learning Central program, to support people with hemophilia, as well as their caregivers. Topic areas include anxiety, suicide, trauma, pain management, depression, and grief. Offered resources in the program’s library can be…

COVID-19 May Trigger Acquired Hemophilia A, Case Study Says

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, might have triggered acquired hemophilia A (AHA) in a 65-year-old man with a clinical history of autoimmune thyroid disease, a U.S. case study reports. This case suggests that COVID-19 infection should be considered when looking for potential causes of AHA. The study, “…

Quality of Life Benefits Seen With Long-term Hemlibra Use in Trials

Preventive treatment with Hemlibra (emicizumab) sustainably improved physical health-related quality of life and led to fewer missed workdays among people with severe hemophilia A without inhibitors, an analysis of pooled data from two clinical trials found. According to researchers, these findings add to previous data showing that Hemlibra…

Elective Surgery Safe in Australia for Hemophilia, Bleeding Disorders

Complication rates for elective surgeries in people with inherited bleeding disorders like hemophilia are low in Australia, reflecting good safety in their performance despite guidelines not always being followed, a study reported. Use of a specialty hemophilia treatment center (HTC) for surgery, and use of factor replacement therapy were among guidelines sometimes…