In the realm of hemophilia, I believe the current classification system oversimplifies a far more intricate reality. Severe, moderate, and mild hemophilia are classifications based on the amount of clotting factor present in a person’s blood. Hemophilia is a genetic disorder that impairs the blood’s ability…

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has extended Hemlibra (emicizumab)’s approval to include routine prophylaxis to prevent or lower the frequency of bleeds in people with acquired hemophilia A. Its decision comes seven months after Hemlibra’s maker, Chugai Pharmaceutical, applied for extended use. Hemlibra was previously approved in…

MRI screening can identify subclinical joint bleeding in some patients with severe hemophilia A on preventive treatment, according to a study in the Netherlands. Subclinical bleeds occur without symptoms and usually cannot be detected by standard physical and ultrasound examinations. “These MRI findings support the hypothesis that subclinical…

New data from clinical studies suggests that long-term preventive treatment of severe hemophilia A with Eloctate, or severe hemophilia B with Alprolix, increased quality of life and reduced annual bleeding rates. The data was presented in Melbourne, Australia at ISTH 2019, the 27th Congress of the International Society…

Recognizing risk factors of thrombosis and carefully monitoring medication doses are crucial for minimizing thrombotic complications in older patients with acquired hemophilia and serious illnesses like cardiovascular disease, a report describing four cases says. The study, “Acquired Haemophilia A. Which is the best therapeutic choice in older adults? Single…

Over seven years of follow-up, a single dose of Roctavian (valoctocogene roxaparvovec-rvox) sustainably reduced the yearly bleeding rate in adults with severe hemophilia A by up to 96%. That’s according to an update on a Phase 1/2 clinical trial (NCT02576795), launched in the U.K. in 2015, that’s…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted orphan drug status to SHP654 (BAX 888), an investigational factor VIII (FVIII) gene therapy candidate being developed by Shire for the treatment of hemophilia A. Gene therapy allows the delivery of a functional copy of the defective gene.

Long-term treatment with Jivi safely and effectively reduced the number of bleeding episodes in adolescents and adults with severe hemophilia A, according to up to seven years of data from the Phase 2/3 PROTECT VIII trial and its extension study. The new data confirmed the previous findings from…

Healthcare costs, particularly related to disease-specific medications, are especially high for people with hemophilia A or hemophilia B on preventive treatments and/or for those with inhibitors. That’s according to a study in France, which also found that patients have a significant clinical burden, with a higher risk of…